Robbery Suspect Makes First Court Appearance

by Jill Johnson
January 14, 2013 3:53 PM


The man, who police say, is responsible for a string of armed robberies in Sioux Falls appeared in court Monday for the first time. Twenty-two-year-old Domach Kong Khai of Sioux Falls was arrested Friday and is being charged with five counts of 1st degree robbery.

This is the man, police say, robbed five Sioux Falls convenience stores in a matter of just two months.

Officer Sam Clemens said, "He ended up coming down to the law enforcement center to talk to detectives. While they were talking to him they ended up finding out that he was the one that was actually responsible for the robberies."

According to police, 22-year-old Domach Kong Khai, robbed the Casey's on South Sycamore Avenue twice, once on Nov. 11 and again on Dec. 6. Khai allegedly hit again on Christmas night, his time it was the Get N Go on East Arrowhead Parkway. Five days later, he's accused of robbing the Gas Stop on East 26th Street. And, the last occurred on Jan. 7 at Cone's Amoco on South Cleveland Avenue. Police were able to recover surveillance video, but that's not what led to Khai's arrest.

Clemens said, "He was giving us a description of a person seemed to have a lot of details of what he said was the person committing these robberies."

Police say beginning on Dec. 6th, they recieved three different phone calls from the same person.

"The numbers were blocked. Since they came into the police department, we were able to figure out where this number came from and ultimately it led us to the person who had been making these calls," said Clemens.
     
They interviewed Domach Khai and served a search warrant at his home on South Cleveland Avenue Inside, police found the evidence they needed.

Clemens said, "The red ball cap and the butcher knife were believed to have been used in some of those robberies and at least a couple of them cash drawers were taken from the businesses as well."

The evidence just three blocks away from where the last robbery occurred.

In court Monday, the state's attorney's office asked that Khai's bond be set at $100,000, claiming that he is dangerous and also a flight risk. Despite their request, the judge set his bond at $50,000 cash. Khai was ordered to not have any contact with the convenience stores he is accused of robbing.

The state's attorney's office says Khai has lived in Sioux Falls for six years and graduated from Roosevelt High School. They say to their knowlege this is the first time Khai has been arrested.