Three Cedar Rapids men charged in liquor store robbery

CEDAR RAPIDS - Three Cedar Rapids men are accused of robbing a liquor store Tuesday night.

Cedar Rapids police officers responded to an armed robbery at Big Discount Liquor, 5427 Center Point Road NE, at 9:13 p.m. Police said two men armed with guns entered the business, demanded cash and left with an undisclosed amount of money. There were no injuries during the robbery, police said.

Witnesses provided police with descriptions of the suspects and the getaway vehicle, a minivan. Police said within five minutes of the robbery, an officer located the minivan near Center Point Road and H Avenue NE. The driver refused to pull over for the officer and a pursuit ensued.

Police said the pursuing officer lost track of the minivan for a period of time and found it abandoned in the 1800 block alley between Second and Third avenues SE. Responding officers found two men who matched the description of the robbery suspects in the 1800 block of Second Avenue SE. While those two men were being questioned, a third suspect was found and taken into custody in the southeast side of Cedar Rapids.

As a result of the investigation, Robert L.R. Barlow, 27; Joshua M. Sandlin, 36; and Jack D. Yoders, 19 have been charged with first-degree robbery, a Class B felony punishable by up to 25 years in prison. Barlow faces additional charges of driving while barred and eluding. Sandlin faces an additional charge of possession of drug paraphernalia.

All three men live together at 415 12th St. SE, police said.