Jones-Robinson, Taylor Charged in 2-Day Gunpoint Robbery Spree

Three robberies. Two cities. One bloody 48-hour rampage. Davontai Jones-Robinson, 23, of Evansville, Indiana, and Trinity Taylor, 26, of Prattville, Alabama, are locked up in federal custody following a violent crime spree that terrorized convenience store clerks across southwestern Indiana. Both are charged with three counts each of Obstruction of Commerce by Robbery and three counts each of Use of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence.

The first strike came at 8 p.m. on August 13, 2020, at the Kwik Stop on 4301 Pollack Avenue in Evansville. A witness saw a man with a long-gun bolt into the store. Inside, a black male brandished a firearm, ordered the clerk to open the register, and fled with an undetermined amount of cash and cigarettes. The suspect wore distinct clothing — a detail that would soon tie the crimes together.

Just 6½ hours later, at 2:30 a.m. on August 14, the same mask of fear descended on the Circle K at 2400 E. Riverside Drive. Again, a black male entered with a gun, demanded money, and escaped with cash and cigarettes. Witnesses spotted a dark-colored passenger car hovering near the scene. The clothing matched. The MO matched. The terror multiplied.

The rampage stretched into Warrick County. At 11:30 a.m., Chuckles, a convenience store in Elberfeld, was hit. Same description. Same gun. Same getaway car. The suspect stormed in, barked orders, snatched cash, and vanished. Investigators linked all three robberies through surveillance, witness accounts, and the vehicle’s license plate — traced back to a rental company under Trinity Taylor’s name.

By 3:45 p.m. on August 14, Evansville police cornered the rental car at Covert Avenue and Green River Road. Taylor was behind the wheel — caught. A search warrant executed at the duo’s apartment turned up evidence tying both men to all three robberies. Jones-Robinson was identified as the gunman who walked into each store with a weapon; Taylor, as the getaway driver and accomplice.

“Living a life of crime never pays off,” said U.S. Attorney Josh J. Minkler. “Their short-lived crime spree spread fear into the lives of innocent victims — a fear they may carry the rest of their lives. Now Jones-Robinson and Taylor face a life sentence in federal prison.” Prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Shellenbarger, both defendants could get life behind bars, a $250,000 fine, and five years of supervised release. The case was built by the FBI Indiana Violent Crime Task Force, Evansville PD, Warrick County Sheriff’s Department, and Indiana State Police. Charges are pending; defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.