The Bryant Police made another arrest in the case regarding the robbery of the 82-year-old woman Wednesday. Investigators learned that Tommy Lee Gire, 20, of Bryant may have been involved as well with the robbery. After questioning Gire on his involvement, he admitted to providing the two juveniles with the gun in order to commit the robbery. He was transported to the Saline County Jail where he is being charged with:
Tommy Lee Gire
Criminal Conspiracy to Commit Aggravated Robbery (A Felony)
Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor (A Misd.)
According to the report on the incident, the Bryant Police Department received a 911 call Wednesday around 11:55 a.m. An elderly woman said that two males, one white and one black, came into her home and tied her up at gunpoint and stole her vehicle.
Bryant officers arrived on scene and made contact with the 82-year-old victim June Dennis, who said that she had just gotten home when the two males approached her outside her home and asked if she needed any yard work done. She told them no.
A short time later, the white male came to her door and asked if he could use her phone to call his mother to come pick him up. Mrs. Dennis said she handed him her phone out the door, but he then insisted that he needed to use the restroom. She said he looked innocent enough so she let him in. Just moments after he was in the house, the second male approached the door and forced his way in pointing a gun at Mrs. Dennis.
They both told her they were there to rob her and, at that point, took her cane away from her and forced her into a chair in the living room. They both then proceeded to tape her legs, hands and put an object in her mouth and taped her mouth closed. After going through her things, they grabbed her car keys and fled the scene in her vehicle. Mrs. Dennis was able to get up and make her way to a phone and call 911 for help.
Two minors, a black male, age 16, of Bryant and a white male, age 17, of Bigelow were arrested and charged with aggravated kidnapping, aggravated robbery and theft of property by the Bryant Police Department. The first two charges are Class Y felonies, the latter is a Class C felony.
