Customers 'dine and dash' — and allegedly rob — at Waffle House

Article content

Some diners like to leave a tip after they eat.

One Texas family left a trail of robberies.

Police have arrested three suspects after a family of six ate at a Waffle House in Shelby, N.C. — and then allegedly robbed the place at gunpoint.

Fox News reports that Tamiko Lashun Jones and Tony Eugene Lemon, both of Marshall, Texas, and Diamond Walton, of Longview, Texas. were arrested Wednesday by Hillsborough police.

They are each charged with robbery with a dangerous weapon, conspiracy to commit armed robbery, and defrauding an innkeeper.

There may be more charges coming in relation to a similar incident that happened in Minden, La., the week before.

The three who were arrested were part of a family group of six people who came into the waffle house and ate a meal.

Once they’d eaten, police say Lemon pulled a gun and demanded money from restaurant staff.

He then fled to a nearby gas station. The suspects fled in two different Ford vehicles, both with Texas plates: a burgundy coloured pickup and a silver Focus.

Waffle House restaurants are no stranger to being the scene of the crime — similar arrests were made in April for an armed robbery at a South Carolina outlet.

Restaurant industry publication the Daily Meal claims crime is an issue for every eatery open 24 hours a day; as well, Waffle House has locations in many high-crime cities and areas.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

Try refreshing your browser, or
tap here to see other videos from our team.

Play Video

“Waffle Houses are located next to major highways, which makes getaways convenient, and they are open at odd hours, thus attracting people not necessarily tied to jobs,” said Leonard Sipes, a former Senior Specialist for Crime Prevention for the Department of Justice.

Cautioning that, “correlations do not equal causation,” he said the chain’s prices attract young people, “and age is correlated to crime; younger people commit far more crime.

“The young are also disproportionately victims of crime.”