[StBernard] Four arrested on suspicion of pulling off fake robbery in St. Bernard Parish

[Westley Annis]

Four arrested on suspicion of pulling off fake robbery in St. Bernard Parish
By The Times-Picayune 
January 22, 2010, 6:07PM
Four St. Bernard Parish residents have been booked in connection with a fake
robbery at a Poydras convenience store. And they're also being investigated
in connection with the armed robbery of a nearby store several hours later.

Authorities were skeptical from the start when Tammy Dalon, 38, told
deputies that two men wearing masks burst into Riche Cafe on East St.
Bernard Highway in Poydras, where she worked, and robbed the place of an
undisclosed amount of money around 7 p.m. Monday.

A tip from Crimestoppers led to the names of two people allegedly involved
in the robbery and from there the scam unraveled, the St. Bernard Parish
Sheriff's Office said in a news release Friday.

Dalon, 2408 Bobwhite in Poydras, eventually confessed that she, her nephew
and two of his friends pulled off the fake robbery. Dalon has been booked
with felony theft, falsifying a report, obstruction of justice and
contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile.

Her nephew, Dylan Dalon, 17, of 2412 Bobwhite, was booked with felony theft.
Two others, Joshua Cassar, 17, of 2500 Bobwhite, and a 16-year-old Poydras
boy, also were booked with felony theft, the Sheriff's Office said.

Tammy Dalon told investigators that Cassar and the juvenile donned masks and
"robbed'' the store and that the three boys kept all the money. The boys,
who also confessed, told investigators that they split up the money with
Tammy Dalon, the sheriff's office said.

The fake robbery preceded a Tuesday morning incident in which two people
wearing masks and carrying handguns robbed Nicosia's Express Lane, a short
distance away, authorities said. The Sheriff's Office said it is looking
into the possibility that the two crimes might be connected.

Tammy Dalon, Dylan Dalon and Joshua Cassar were booked into the St. Bernard
Parish Prison Friday evening. The juvenile was sent to the parish's juvenile
detention center.