Two arrested in connection with internet robbery scheme

Two 17-year-old females were transferred to Dubois County from Vanderburgh County to face felony charges of robbery from an incident in May in which two Bretzville men were injured.

On Tuesday, Alyissa H. Hawkins and Emily R. Bell, both 17 years old and both from of Evansville were arrested in Vanderburgh County. They face charges of Level 2 felony count of inducing/aiding robbery resulting in serious bodily injury and Level 3 felony count of inducing/aiding robbery resulting in bodily injury.

They were transferred to the Dubois County Security Center on Wednesday. Due to the type of crime they are charged with, the two will be processed as adults.

According to the Dubois County Sheriff’s Department, the investigation began in May when they responded to the 5000 block of South State Road 162 at 2:12 a.m. on May 23, 2016, for the report of the robbery and assault.

When they arrived, deputies determined two male subjects at the residence met two females through an internet site and invited them to their residence near Bretzville. Police said after the females arrived at the home, the two men and two women were talking on the front porch of the home when according to police, two unknown black males approached the group and struck one of the men on the back of the head with a baseball bat.

The second black male pulled a shotgun out and demanded money from the other male victim. The victim handed several hundred dollars over to the man. Then, the two females and two males left the residence heading south on State Road 162.

Sometime during the robbery, the second victim was struck in the face and arm by the assailant with the baseball bat, according to police.

The two male victims were transported to Memorial Hospital and the one hit in the head was taken by LifeFlight to another hospital for treatment. Both have since been released from the hospital.

The investigation is ongoing as the other two suspects have not been found.