Two charged in gas station, residential armed robberies

Two men have been charged in an armed robbery at the ZX Gas Station at 7406 West Main in Belleville and at a residence Friday.

On Sunday, the St. Clair County State’s Attorney’s Office charged Jermane Hunt, 25, and Marquise Chairs, 21, each with two counts of armed robbery with a firearm. The charges are Class X felonies and each man’s bond was set at $200,000.

Master Sgt. Todd Keilbach of the Belleville Police department said the victims at both robberies knew one of the suspects.

Belleville police earlier reported that two men entered the victim’s car at about 1 p.m. Friday. Each suspect displayed a handgun, and one took money from the middle console of the man’s vehicle.

Police received another call in regards to an armed robbery two hours later from an address in the 200 block of 45th Street.

Keilbach said a resident was met by two men with handguns, and the suspects pushed the man inside. There, they took the man’s watch, money and a gun he had been carrying.

The suspects drove away and police pursued them into St. Louis and back into East St. Louis, where three people ran from the car. Three were taken into custody Friday; the third man was not charged.

This story was originally published January 1, 2018 at 1:06 PM with the headline "Two charged in gas station, residential armed robberies."