Police arrested a second man Tuesday in connection with a string of robberies last month at Fort Wayne apartment complexes.

Investigators do not believe that the man, Corey L. Harris, 21, committed any of the actual holdups. Rather, they suspect he sold valuables the robbers had stolen, said officer Raquel Foster, a city police spokeswoman.

Police searched Harris’ home Jan. 16 and found items that were stolen during a Jan. 8 robbery at Autumn Creek Apartments, 2122 Ardmore Ave. In that holdup, two robbers forced a man into his apartment at gunpoint and stole a laptop computer and a video-game system, police said.

Harris, of the 1000 block of McKinnie Avenue, was booked into the Allen County Lockup on preliminary charges of receiving stolen property and obstruction of justice. He was released on his own recognizance.

Foster said the obstruction-of-justice charge stems from Harris’ refusal to share information that could have helped investigators.

The other man arrested in the case was Devonte M. Hamlet, 20, of the 3500 block of Smith Street. He is accused of committing two apartment robberies Jan. 10.

In those cases, Hamlet and another man, both armed with handguns, forced their way into apartments, bound victims, beat some of them and stole valuables, court papers said. During one robbery, a victim got a handgun from a closet and fired at Hamlet as he was leaving. Minutes later, Hamlet was dropped off at a hospital with two gunshot wounds, court papers stated.

Hamlet’s fingerprints linked him to both robberies, court papers said. Arrested Jan. 22, he faces charges of burglary resulting in bodily injury, battery with a deadly weapon, five counts of robbery and six counts of criminal confinement.

Foster said Hamlet is among four men who committed some of the 13 robberies. She said the three other men have been identified but remain at large.

“We do anticipate arrests,” she said. “It’s just a matter of building the cases.”

aingersoll@jg.net

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