VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Police have identified and formally charged two men suspected in the spree of 7-Eleven robberies that happened across Hampton Roads.
Ronald Lee Brookins Jr., 18, and Deric Breon Simmons, 19, are the two suspects who have been charged. A third alleged robber, 18-year-old Michael Moore, was killed by a customer at a 7-Eleven he was reportedly trying to rob.
Police said that one of the suspects and Moore were armed when they tried robbing the last 7-Eleven around 2 a.m. Thursday. It was at this location on S. Newtown Road that Moore was shot.
Brookins told a judge Friday that he is active duty Navy. He is charged with two counts of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, two counts of conspiracy to commit a felony, abduction and wearing a mask in public.
Simmons has been charged with two counts of robbery and two counts of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.
Norfolk and Newport News Police say they have linked the men to robberies at three other 7-Elevens that were also targeted within the same time frame.
Portsmouth and Suffolk Police say they are looking into the possibility that Simmons and Brookins are responsible for similar unsolved crimes in their cities.
Brookins and Simmons are being held in the Virginia Beach Correctional Center without bond.
