Crime & Safety

KFC Robbery Suspect Pleads Not Guilty to Felony Charges

Darnell Earl Wilson, 22, was ordered held on $250,000 bail.

A man suspected in a series of robberies, including one at a KFC restaurant in Spring Valley in which he allegedly threatened workers with a large knife, pleaded not guilty Friday to a half-dozen felony charges.

Darnell Earl Wilson, 22, was ordered held on $250,000 bail.

The defendant allegedly confronted employees at the KFC in the 8300 block of Paradise Valley Road with a blue bandana over his face about 10:30 a.m. Wednesday. Wilson allegedly displayed a large knife and stole a cash drawer, said sheriff's Sgt. Greg Hampton.

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A patrol deputy searching for the robber spotted Wilson in the area, according to Hampton. Inside a backpack Wilson was carrying was a knife matching the description of the one the robber wielded and a black hooded jacket like the one the crook wore during the crime, the sergeant said.

The deputy also found the cash drawer near where he detained the suspect, according to Hampton, who said one of the victims subsequently identified Wilson as the alleged robber.

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He faces up to seven years in prison if convicted of two counts each of robbery, burglary and assault with a deadly weapon likely to cause great bodily injury.

Prosecutor Gordon Paul Davis said Wilson is also charged in a second robbery and authorities are looking into the defendant's alleged involvement in four other holdups.

–City News Service

A readiness conference was set for Dec. 28 and a preliminary hearing for Jan. 9.


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