A couple of college students were arrested in McPherson Friday morning following a motel robbery.
According to the McPherson Police Department, on Friday morning at 3:10 officers were dispatched to a report of an armed robbery a thet Holiday Inn Express Hotel, 2302 E. Kansas Avenue in McPherson. The clerk reported two black males came in, with their faces covered, armed with a handgun.
When the duo demanded money the clerk complied and gave them $171.00 cash from the register.
One of the suspects took the Clerk into a back room, while the other suspect attempted, unsuccessfully, to break into an ATM inside the hotel, causing damage to the ATM.
The suspects then fled. The clerk told officers she recognized the clothing one of the suspects was wearing, a red hoodie, as that of a black male, who had been in the hotel just prior to the robbery, and left in a red SUV.
While responding to the report of the robbery, officers observed a red Saturn Vue SUV, with the back license plate covered by a plastic bag, traveling west on Kansas Avenue from the area of the hotel. Officers also saw a red hoodie lying in the street on Kansas Avenue, were the SUV came from.
Officers stopped the SUV in the 200 Block of South Maple Street, and identified the driver as 18 year-old Rodric D. Artmore and his passenger, as 19 year-old Brian Ard Jr., both from Texas. Officers found a hand gun and cash in the SUV.
Officers arrested Artmore and Ard for Aggravated Robbery, Kidnapping, and Criminal Damage to Property.
Artmore and Ard were booked into the McPherson County Jail, with their bond set at $20,500 each.
Both Artmore and Ard are students at Central Christian College in McPherson. Ard and Artmore were listed on 2018-2019 men’s basketball roster at the college, but their records have been removed from the school’s website.
