Man arrested for charges of armed robbery and criminal confinement

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- The St. Joseph County Police Department announced the arrest of 22-year-old Lucas Conner Jr. following a collaborative operation involving local, state, and federal law enforcement. Conner was wanted in connection with charges of Armed Robbery and Criminal Confinement from a March 29, 2024, incident in La Porte County.

On the day of the robbery, police were alerted to a hold-up alarm at the Advance America Cash Advance. Upon arrival, the branch manager reported that a vehicle had pulled up and a man with a pistol entered the store, demanding money. Another suspect followed shortly after, also armed, and together they held the manager at gunpoint while robbing the establishment of $1,943.65 before fleeing the scene in a sedan.

Investigators recovered surveillance footage from the robbery and surrounding businesses, identifying the getaway vehicle as an older gold Ford Taurus. Later, police located an abandoned version of the vehicle and spoke with its owner, who claimed that 23-year-old Xavier Cooper had been using it. The owner mentioned Cooper’s frequent companion, known as "Lul Glow" on Facebook, who was identified as Conner.

Further investigation linked a Gray Chevrolet Malibu to the incident, driven by Dana Minies Jr., who had been seen at the Advance America the day prior to the robbery. Minies, currently in custody on multiple homicide charges, later confessed to picking up Cooper and Conner after they abandoned the Taurus. He revealed that the two had firearms and cash from the robbery when he collected them.

Ultimately, the combined evidence from video footage and witness statements culminated in the arrest of Conner, marking a significant development in the ongoing investigation into the armed robbery.