MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Three men were taken into custody during a traffic stop in Morgantown, accused of an early Tuesday morning home invasion in downtown.
Jared Cooke, 22, Stephan Cottrell, 19, and Donnell Jones, 23 are charged with first-degree robbery and conspiracy. They were arrested around 11 a.m. Tuesday during a traffic stop along University Avenue near WVU’s Knapp Hall.
Police say just before 3 a.m. on Tuesday, Cottrell, Cooke and Jones kicked in the door to an apartment on Forest Avenue and once inside pulled a semi-automatic pistol, revolver and a knife. The three demanded drugs from the residents, but victims said they did not have any. Instead, they offered the three intruders $10,000 in cash from a safe inside the apartment.
The trio allegedly took the cash along with a shotgun from the safe and several electronics before fleeing the scene.
All three were arraigned on first-degree robbery and conspiracy charges. Bail has been set at $200,000.
While officers were obtaining a search warrant for a Beechurst Avenue location, special response team members witnessed several people breaking into a residence. One of the suspects
in that alleged attempted robbery was arrested and found to be in possession of a handgun.
David Long, 21, was charged with possession of a controlled substance and possession of stolen property. He was being held in the North Central Regional Jail on a $10,000 bond.