An Indianapolis man faces accusations of drunkenly leaping through the drive-thru window of a Taco Bell and pilfering cash from the registers.
At 4:30 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 28, IMPD officers received a call to respond to a robbery in progress at the Taco Bell situated on the 3900 block of Madison Avenue, close to East Hanna Avenue and Shelby Street on the south side of the city.
Court documents reveal that the Taco Bell employees were shutting down the store and left the drive-thru window open to allow the fumes from the cleaning supplies to dissipate.
When Darrell Williams arrived at the drive-thru window, he reportedly pulled up, jumped through it, and demanded cash.
According to the video surveillance footage, the police reported that Williams was seen grabbing a key located near the register and attempting to unlock it while the employees were busy cleaning. Williams appeared to hesitate and then returned to his vehicle. He then exited the vehicle and made another attempt to unlock the register, but he was unsuccessful in doing so.
Police officers reported that the video footage captured Williams reversing his vehicle, then returning to the window to make a third attempt to open the drawer. During this incident, he was observed wearing a black head-and-face mask.
According to court documents, Williams departed and returned for a final time a few minutes later. During this visit, he purportedly entered through the drive-thru window.
According to court documents, Williams reportedly seized one of the employees by the arm and guided her through the Taco Bell to the back office area. The remaining two employees witnessed the incident and promptly fled the Taco Bell, with one of them seeking help from a nearby business to contact the authorities.
Court documents reveal that Williams released the employee when he began searching the back office, allowing the employee to flee and run out of the Taco Bell.
Police stated that video footage depicts Williams heading straight to the registers, using the key to unlock them, and grabbing the money. Afterwards, he purportedly climbed back through the drive-thru window and quickly drove away.
According to court records, the police managed to locate Williams’ residence and conducted a search warrant at his home. During the search, law enforcement claimed to have discovered the precise attire that Williams had worn on the evening of the purported Taco Bell robbery.
On March 12, when the police interviewed Williams, he admitted to being the person shown in the video, according to court documents. He confessed that he had stopped at Taco Bell after a night of drinking and acknowledged that he was drunk at the time.
Police stated that Williams stopped at the location to purchase food but chose to jump through the window when the chance arose.
Police stated that Williams was unsure of what he had said to the employee or what he was thinking due to his high level of intoxication.
Williams faced arrest and was charged with robbery, kidnapping, and theft.
