LANCASTER, Pa. – Lancaster City Police arrest one of two suspects in an ongoing investigation into a series of robberies and extortions involving a city restaurant. The suspect in custody has been identified Decee Karngbaye, of Willingboro, New Jersey.
According to police the victim, the restaurant owner, said that on Tuesday May 5, between 3 – 4 p.m., two men entered his restaurant and ordered him to lock the front entrance door. One of the suspects displayed a handgun. The suspects then escorted the victim to an office in the rear of the restaurant. They then threatened the victim and demanded a large amount of cash. The victim gave the men a small amount of cash and they left.
The next day, on Wednesday May 6, at approximately 10:00 p.m., the same two suspects again threatened the victim and restrained him while demanding cash. The victim was unable to produce the amount of money the suspects were demanding. The suspects left and demanded that the victim contact them when he had the money. This incident occurred at a hotel room in East Lampeter Township.
On Friday May 8, at approximately 3:00 p.m. the two suspects again walked into the victim’s restaurant and ordered the victim into a back room. They restrained the victim for approximately 45 minutes to an hour. This time the suspects handled a trash bag they had brought with them. The suspects then took a large amount of cash from the victim while the victim was under continued threats that he and his family would be killed if he didn’t give the suspects the money. The suspects left the trash bag behind.
Lancaster Police Evidence Specialist Jeffrey Krause, processed the trash bag and forwarded digital images of latent prints to Detective David Weiser, a Latent Fingerprint Examiner.
Detective Weiser was able to obtain a match of two of the fingerprints to Karngbaye. New Jersey Detectives then located photos of Karngbaye and along with video surveillance footage captured during the course of the incidents, it was determined that the photos of Karngbaye were consistent with video one of the suspects.
An arrest warrant was obtained charging Karngbaye with 3 counts of Robbery, 3 counts of Criminal Conspiracy to Commit Robbery, Theft by Extortion, Terroristic Threat, and Unlawful Restraint.
Karngbaye was subsequently arrested by deputy U.S. Marshals in New Jersey on September 18. He was returned to Lancaster on Friday, October 2, and is being held at Lancaster County Prison on $2 million bail.
Anyone who can identify this individual, or can help any information on the case is urged to call Detective Jason Drouillard at (717) 735-3476, Lancaster City Police at (717) 735-3300 or Lancaster City-County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-322-1913.
You can also click the Submit a Tip button on the Lancaster City Bureau of Police website, www.lancasterpolice.com, or Text a Tip to Crime Stoppers by texting LANCS plus your message to 847411. Tipsters may remain anonymous and do not have to give their names.
