Police solve six armed robberies in 18 months

The last of six armed robbery cases investigated by the Hutchinson Police Department during the past 18 months closed with the sentencing of James N. Dahlager in McLeod County District Court on Aug. 22.

He pleaded guilty to first-degree aggravated robbery of a $144 from a vegetable stand near Runnings on Aug. 20, 2007. Information gathered at the scene, including videotape showing Dahlager using a cash machine near the stand, led to his arrested and that of his wife.

Dahlager’s 120-month sentence in McLeod County will be served concurrent with sentences handed down in several other cases in neighboring counties. He was not involved in the other Hutchinson cases.

Investigations into the six incidents resulted in the arrest of 10 people. All cases were prosecuted by the McLeod County Attorney’s Office.

The first of the six robberies investigated in Hutchinson took place on March 11, 2007. Casey’s General Store, 510 State Highway 7 E. Two boys eventually pleaded guilty to first-degree aggravated robbery and were placed on probation until they turn 21.

Christopher W. Heuer entered an Alford plea to felony armed robbery in an April 10 incident at Sinclair. As part of his plea agreement, he was not charged in two Feb. 16 robberies at the Sinclair and Cash Wise stores. Kayla M. Hoecke also pleaded guilty to felony theft and was sentenced to 90 days in jail in the second Sinclair robbery.

The sixth incident took place April 18 when a pizza delivery worker was robbed at gunpoint in an apartment parking lot. Walter Fuller Pickering pleaded guilty to first-degree aggravated robbery in that case and was sentenced to 58 months in prison.

Hoecke also was involved in this incident and pleaded guilty to felony theft and felony aiding an offender. She was sentenced to 90 days in jail. A juvenile male pleaded guilty to first-degree aggravated robbery for his involvement. He was sentenced to one year in a juvenile detention facility.

(Terry Davis is a Hutchinson Leader staff writer. E-mail him at davis@hutchinsonleader.com.)