Police identify robbery suspect, alleged getaway car driver arrested

Police have identified the suspect they believe was behind three convenience store armed robberies.

Detectives are looking for Larry Blackwell Cole, 40. Anyone with information about where he could be is urged to call police.

Police have made another arrest in the case.

Boone County prosecutors charged 44-year-old John Meadows with two counts of robbery and one count of attempted robbery.

The charges stem from three armed robberies at the Phillips 66 on Ash Street June 25, the Midwest Petroleum on Nifong Boulevard and Break Time on Forum Boulevard on June 26.

Police say Meadows was the getaway car driver and they are still searching for the man who actually walked into the stores and demanded money at gunpoint.

Meadows is not a stranger to breaking the law. He was in prison just three years ago. In fact, he was arrested for violating his parole and was sitting in jail when officers discovered he was connected to last week’s robberies.

“Investigators had received information and also looked at video surveillance and found that he was the driver of his own car that was waiting outside for the robber to come back out,” said Officer Latisha Stroer.

In court documents, Meadows admitted he took part in the robberies and also accused another man of actually doing the robberies.

Investigators say Meadows and the other suspect were armed during the robberies, but no one was hurt.

They also are unsure if the other suspect is still in the Columbia area.

Meadows is no longer in the Boone County Jail. Missouri Department of Corrections officers took him back to prison last week.