LAS VEGAS -- An armed robbery ring responsible for dozens of tense stickups is now out of business.
Over the past several months, eight people were arrested, some pleading guilty and others still awaiting trial.
The crime spree began last year and lasted for months, according to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Detectives called it a miracle the alleged robbers didn't kill anyone.
Detectives have linked 42 robberies to the heavily armed crew, hitting everything from department stores to fast food joints to insurance companies.
Interactive Map: Detectives Link 42 Robberies
As the stickups mounted, so did the violence used at the scene of the crimes, detectives said.
Sharp eyes, hard work, and some lucky breaks helped police catch some of the alleged gunmen right in the act, and a unique pistol packed by the alleged crooks came back to bite them.
The crew operated as a tight unit, bursting through the doors, day or night, customers or not, all business, police detectives said.
"They would come right into the business, guns are usually already out," Metro Robbery Det. Justin Beveridge said. "Very calm and cool. Several of the customers said, ‘hey these guys knew what they were doing.' They are very cocky."
The alleged robbers picked businesses on the edge of residential areas, running there after the stickups to meet a waiting getaway driver, detectives said. Early on, their favorite target became Family Dollar stores, hitting some twice. They then branched out to small insurance offices, fast food chains, telephone outlets -- anything that had cash.
"We started going back and looked at older events and found, ‘Wow, these guys have been active since May of 2011,'" Metro Robbery Det. Mitchell Dosch said. "At that point (in) August of 2011, we had a rush of them."
Slideshow: Surveillance Cameras Catch Robbers in Act
The alleged urban desperadoes operated like interchangeable parts, using different gunmen and drivers at different targets. They had already struck more than 20 times before metro detectives said they realized it was the same crew. Nailing them became imperative.
"We were beginning to see an escalation of violence," Dosch said. "It started where they were kicking employees in the stomach, then pistol whipping individuals, then they got as far as discharging a firearm. It was just a matter of time until we have a murder."
The crew was heavily armed, the detectives said, with some of the alleged bandits packing two guns at a time.
"Pure intimidation," Beveridge said. "(They were) trying to strike fear in the customers and employees -- pure fear. What people don't understand is those victims live with that their entire lives."
But one of the weapons backfired, a large hand cannon that was seen at several robberies, nicknamed "the judge." It shoots 45 slugs and 410 shotgun shells and had been stolen in an earlier gun store burglary.
Detectives started hearing stories on the street, people bragging about the hand cannon and the heists.
"One of the suspects did refer to that gun as the biggest gun on the west side, and was very proud of it," Beveridge said. "We heard people say they were bragging about doing licks, is what they call them."
Dosch and Beveridge began working round the clock, cultivating sources and anonymous tips started to come in. They caught a break in October when Metro civilians spotted a robber as he entered a smoke shop. Police were waiting when he came out.
After that, detectives began predicting where the gang might strike. Lawmen were waiting when the some of the crew came blasting out of an auto parts store, and again at a Subway sandwich shop on Rancho Boulevard.
"There could be a gun battle as a result of that," Dosch said."
Police got the drop on the gunmen and no shots were fired. More arrests followed. A total of eight suspects, male and female, teenagers to adults, were brought in. One common denominator was the Summerhill Apartments on 3630 E. Owens Ave, where most of them lived.
Detectives speculate that longtime criminal Darren McCoy was the ringleader and used the apartments as a recruiting center for his crew. McCoy had been on house arrest during the robbery spree.
Slideshow: 8 Arrested in Robbery Ring
Dosch and Beveridge are in line for special commendations, though they said they had a lot of help from other teams. Their boss has seen other robbery crews, but not like this one.
Metro Robbery Sgt. Paul Gambini said the detectives stayed on the case, as the alleged robber became more "brazen."
"Some detectives, at the end of it (say), ‘Hey, I've done my job,' but they really stayed with it," Gambini said.
Despite pulling at least 42 stickups, the alleged robbers only stole about $35,000, total.
The detectives said the alleged robbers looked at it like a job: When they needed money, they went to work and got some.
The teenagers recruited to the gang were told that because of their age they wouldn't be punished if caught.
That was a lie. Even the youngest are now facing six years in prison.
The District Attorney's office said it has made prosecuting the suspects a priority.
