Suspect Pleads Not Guilty in Connection to 2022 Armed Robbery at Roseland Gas Station

ROSELAND, Ind. (WNDU) – A 22-year-old man, Adrien Wright, has entered a plea of not guilty in St. Joseph Superior Court on Monday, Nov. 20, following his arrest in connection to an armed robbery at a Roseland gas station earlier this year.

Wright is facing charges of armed robbery, a level three felony, after the incident that took place on September 30, 2022, at the State Road 933 Phillips 66 gas station, known at the time as KB Express.

According to court documents, the Roseland Police Department received a distress call around 2:40 a.m. on the said date, reporting an armed robbery at the KB Express. Upon arriving at the scene, law enforcement found an employee who stated that a suspect, later identified as Adrien Wright, entered the store and brandished a firearm, demanding money from the cash register.

After emptying the register, Wright allegedly forced the victim into the storage area and took additional items before fleeing through the north exit of the gas station. He was reported to have been wearing a distinctive red, white, and blue coat with the word “Hilfiger” on the back collar, ripped jeans, and shoes with bold “AIR” lettering.

A thorough search of the area was conducted by multiple law enforcement agencies, including the St. Joseph County Police Department and the Notre Dame Police Department. Notre Dame officers encountered a man exiting a Trailblazer that had entered the parking area at University Edge Apartments with its lights off and at a high rate of speed. The individual claimed to be visiting his mother’s house in the building.

Later that morning, Roseland officers were dispatched to the Braemore building for a domestic battery incident. Upon arrival, they discovered Adrien Wright, who had an active warrant, and subsequently arrested him. During the arrest, officers recovered $819 in cash, which Wright claimed was his savings from working as a scrap metal collector with his uncle.

Both Notre Dame and Roseland officers reviewed video footage and located the Trailblazer, which contained the jacket, pants, and shoes that matched the description of the suspect’s attire during the armed robbery.

During a police interview, Wright denied committing the robbery and instead named a person named “Trey Wright” as the perpetrator, claiming that Trey had confessed to him about the crime. However, there was no video evidence of a second person exiting the vehicle after it was parked at the University Edge lot.

Wright did admit to walking into the KB Express parking lot after leaving the Holiday Inn but stated that he was “tweaking” at the time. Interviews with Wright’s family members at the Braemore residence revealed that he had borrowed clothes from them that night and that they noticed their car had been stolen while they were asleep at around 3 a.m. When confronted, Wright allegedly confessed to taking the car but mentioned that he had already returned it. Furthermore, he had a significant amount of money in his possession, which raised suspicions as he does not typically have such funds and does not have an uncle who works as a scrap metal collector.

The owner of the Trailblazer, who is dating a family member of Wright’s, informed authorities that the clothing found in the vehicle did not belong to him and that he does not allow others to drive his car.

When officers responded to the Braemore building, they observed Wright wearing the same clothes as the individual Notre Dame police had encountered shortly after the robbery.

Adrien Wright is currently being held on a $35,000 cash bond or $350,000 surety.