Boonville Police identify two suspects in summer robbery
A Columbia man accused of a Mid-Missouri crime spree is now being linked to another robbery.
Boonville Police said Joshua Harrington robbed the Breaktime convenience store on the south side of town in May.
That is the fifth major crime police are tying to him over a four month span. Authorities said Harrington started with a home invasion in May and ended with a string of three bank robberies in Columbia before getting caught.
Boonville Police said Harrington had help with his robbery at the gas station there in May. They are still looking for Daniel Diaz from Kirksville in the case. Diaz’s former roommate is getting credit for turning him in.
Lt. Randall Ayers, Boonville Police Department: “We had some citizens in Columbia that had dealings with Mr. Diaz and Harrington. There was a disturbance at their residence at one point in time. I believe they were actually dressed the same way. And they kind of tipped me off that this could be the people we’re looking for.”
Both Harrington and Diaz allegedly broke into a Columbia home the day before the Breaktime robbery.
Diaz was just charged in that crime Tuesday and court documents said a witness from that home invasion told police she used to live with Diaz.
The woman even told police the getaway car from the Breaktime robbery was the vehicle Diaz drove when they lived together.
She also said she recognized the gun in the pictures from the Boonville robbery, saying Harrington brought it to her home a few weeks earlier.
Police had the woman listen to audio of the Breaktime robbery and she confirmed it was Diaz’s voice on the tape.
Lt. Ayers said Columbia Police played a major part in the long investigation.
Ayers: “Columbia Police Department was the officer that called me after they took the report. They had seen it on the news that we’d had this robbery. And they felt it fit the description of who we were looking for.”
Last month, police arrested Harrington after a bank robbery and high-speed chase. Columbia Police say Harrington then admitted to robbing the Breaktime in Boonville with Diaz.
Currently, Harrington is in Boone County Jail and there is a warrant out for Diaz’s arrest.
