Two Russellville men have been charged in connection with a May 19 aggravated robbery at 16 Redbud Drive in west Conway.
Ronald Wesley Glenn, 50, 102 Fountain Lane and Jamie Stephen Ditchario, 32, 102 River Lane, were arrested Friday and charged with aggravated residential burglary, aggravated robbery, possession of a firearm by certain persons and two counts each of false imprisonment.
According to victim statements, two masked gunmen gained entry into the home at about 1 a.m. and demanded the occupants open a safe, to which they complied.
The gunmen stole $2,000 in cash and five gold coins from the safe, as well as $1,800 from one victim's wallet. Two of the coins were South African Krugerrands, the other three were U.S. Double Eagle gold coins. An incident report lists the value of the coins at $500, though the gold value of three Double Eagle coins is over $2,000 at the current $877 per ounce exchange rate and some Double Eagle coins can greatly exceed their gold value.
Lt. Danny Moody of the Conway Police Department said he was unsure whether any of the coins or cash had been recovered.
After opening the safe, the gunmen bound the victims' hands and feet with tape and also taped over their eyes and mouths.
Moody said shortly after the robbery that CPD had reason to believe the gunmen may have had access to knowledge about the victims' home, as they apparently knew the home contained a safe.
This still seems to be the case, he said Wednesday.
"I do know that one of the suspects spoke with a Cajun accent and that a lady that used to live at the victims' residence was friends with an individual from Russellville that spoke with a Cajun accent."
Arrest information lists Ditcharo's place of birth as Louisiana.
A $150,000 bond was set Wednesday for Ditcharo. Wesley was denied bond.
(Staff writer Joe Lamb can be reached by e-mail at joe.lamb@thecabin.net or by phone at 505-1238. Send us your news at www.thecabin.net/submit)
