A 28-year-old man and several teenage accomplices have been arrested by Madison police in connection with a string of robberies in December 2018, police chief Mike Koval announced in a press conference Thursday.
Police believe the man, identified as Madison resident Eric Clay, was involved in six crimes in Madison and Sun Prairie on Dec. 14 and 15, including three taxi cab robberies. Koval said Clay is also the primary suspect in an armed home invasion, gas station robbery and stick up of two teenage girls. He was taken into custody on Jan. 8 on a probation hold and is now facing five counts of party to a crime of armed robbery.
“Today, Madison is a safer place because … Eric Clay is under arrest,” Koval said. “One can only begin to think what kind of terror was inflicted upon these various people.”
Also arrested was a 16-year-old boy who police said accompanied Clay in one of the cab robberies, the gas station robbery and the stick up. He was also involved in a robbery of a sandwich delivery driver with a 14-year-old McFarland girl on Dec. 23. Koval said he has also been referred to the District Attorney for charges.
The 14-year-old involved in the robbery later robbed another sandwich delivery driver with two other juveniles, aged 15 and 12.
When asked if he believed Clay was the leader of the group of teens, Koval said it was “difficult to tell” and it would just be speculation to connect him with any of the other crimes.
Green Cab of Madison temporarily suspended their service on Dec. 15 in response to the robberies, though they resumed 24-hour service four days later. Though the company technically violated a city ordinance requiring taxi companies to operate 24 hours a day, Mayor Paul Soglin announced the city would not enforce it until the perpetrators were arrested.
