Man Charged in 7-Eleven Robbery

A man already in custody for an armed Robbery at a Coventry 7-Eleven has been charged in connection with an October robbery at a Vernon 7-Eleven.

Denny James Burns, 36, has been charged with two counts of first-degree robbery and  one count of fourth-degree larceny. It closed a case that began on the morning of Oct. 6.

At 5:30 that morning, Vernon Police responded to a report of an armed robbery at the 7-Eleven at 903 Hartford Turnpike, also known as state Route 30. Police said two males entered the store. One jumped the counter and the other came around the back of the counter and confronted the store clerk, police said. One of them was armed with a machete, police said.

The men emptied the cash register, stole cigarettes and then left the store, police said. They left the scene in a blue vehicle with a loud muffler that witnesses said seemed to be a Ford, according to a police narrative.

Police eventually identified Burns and David Saucier, 53, as suspects in the case. 

On Nov. 12, working on a tip, Vernon police and officers from several other departments caught Burns and Saucier at a robbery at the 7-Eleven at 2711 Boston Turnpike in Coventry, according to an arrest narrative. Police said they first concentrated on Saucier because he was the more aggressive of the two and took him into custody at 4:30 a.m. Burns was able to slip way.

Three hours later, however, he was spotted in Vernon near the intersection of Route 30 and Center Road by Vernon officer  Gary Jonas, police said. Jonas turned around and stopped Burns in the parking lot of Center Road School, empty at the time.

Burns initially gave a false name and then admitted his identity after it became obvious police knew who he was, police said.