The Odessa Police Department has made a third arrest in connection with a robbery authorities now believe was an inside job.
According to an Odessa Police Department report, employees of the Mighty Wash on Kermit Highway called 911 around 8 p.m. Aug. 20 to report an employee had been robbed.
When officers arrived, a 20-year-old employee said two men wearing all black and face masks rushed into the office. One of the men pushed him and the other pointed a gun at him before he stole roughly $1,000 from a back room, the report stated. Three other employees corroborated the man’s story, including Elijah Conaway-Shorter, the 19-year-old manager of the business.
Officers watched surveillance video of the men’s approach to the business, the actual robbery and their exit.
According to the report, both suspects were black men with black hoodies, but the gunman was wearing white shoes and the man who actually grabbed the cash was wearing red shoes.
When approaching the business, the man in the white shoes wasn’t wearing a mask and his image was shared with officers throughout the police department, according to the report.
An OPD corporal identified the man as Elijah Conaway-Shorter’s father, Joel Shorter Jr., 40, and it was confirmed by comparing his past jail booking photos with the surveillance video, the report stated.
Shorter was arrested Aug. 23 and he remains in the Ector County jail on a $100,000 surety bond.
After being read his rights, Shorter told detectives a friend of his son’s, “Taliban,” committed the robbery with him and detectives identified “Taliban” as Delonte Perdue, 19, an OPD report stated.
On Aug. 24, the younger Shorter allowed detectives to search his hotel room and they found a backpack that was clearly seen being worn by the second robber, the report stated.
According to the report, the younger Shorter denied any involvement with the robbery, but surveillance video show’s he had a good look of the backpack during the robbery.
Elijah Conaway-Shorter was arrested on suspicion of engaging in organized criminal activity and he remains in the Ector County jail on a $100,000 surety bond.
On the same day, detectives obtained a warrant for Perdue for aggravated robbery and engaging in organized criminal activity.
He was arrested on Wednesday by officers investigating a criminal mischief case in the 2500 block of Cumberland.
According to an OPD report, Perdue was arrested on the outstanding warrants and on suspicion of providing a false name while being a fugitive. He was also arrested on an outstanding aggravated robbery charge out of Tarrant County.
He remains in jail on surety bonds totaling $456,000.
