Monday night Hometown Cleaners in the shopping center just north of Splendora was robbed. John Roane walked in and displayed a pistol in his waistband. The clerk fled the business and the suspect helped himself to the till. He got enough to maybe buy enough gas to get to his next robbery thirty minutes later at Joy Juice Liquor Store in San Jacinto County.
This time he pointed the gun at the clerks head and took the money and fled south on US 59. A customer went after the robber and the stolen vehicle he acquired from an ex-wife of long ago. The person chasing him was able to get camera phone photos of the truck.
Early Tuesday morning Montgomery County Sheriff’s deputies who had been searching East Montgomery County for the suspect and he White SUV spotted the vehicle at the Delux Motel on the southern city limits of Cleveland.
Deputies from Montgomery County, Liberty County, Liberty County Precinct 6, Cleveland Police and Splendora Police surrounded the building and as they waited for a search warrant the suspect John Roane came walking out of the room smoking a cigarette with keys in hand and heading to the stolen car.
The suspect has been identified as John Roane, 43 of Porter.
Chief Hadrych was able to have him identified as the robber in the Hometown Cleaner’s Robbery. He also noted how risky it was for the suspect to go there for the robbery. With several restaurants in the center and the heavy customer traffic flow of customers, firetrucks, patrol cars.
On further investigation Montgomery County Detectives were able to determine he was also responsible for a robbery on August 5, 2010. On this date Roane entered the Plaza Food Store at about 8:15am in the morning located in the 24200 Block of FM 1314. He approached the cashier and displayed a handgun and demanded money. He then exited the store and left in the stolen SUV.
Montgomery County Sheriff’s office also able to secure a confession by Roane that he was responsible for robberies in Montgomery and Harris County.
Roane is in the Montgomery County Jail on a $75,000 bond.
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