Friday, Jul. 03, 2009

Police seek suspect who robbed couple

Man confronted them in their garage

The St. Clair County Sheriff's Department is investigating the armed robbery Wednesday of a couple at their home near Belleville.

The couple, who are in their mid-to-late 70s, were robbed by a man wielding a hammer about 11 a.m. Wednesday in the garage of their home in the 1800 block of Spruce Hill Drive near the east end of Belleville. Neither was injured in the confrontation.

When deputies arrives about three minutes after receiving the 911 call, the suspect already had fled the area in a gray 1980s model four-door Ford Mercury, Sheriff's Capt. Steve Johnson said. The plate was in the center of the rear bumper rather than above or below. The registration sticker could have been in the center of the plate, rather than in the top right hand corner.

The couple had just arrived home after cashing a check when they were approached by a man wielding a hammer described by the victims as red with a yellow handle or maybe yellow tape wrapped around the handle, police said. The man held the hammer in the air and threatened the couple, demanding money. He implied he had been watching them for some time. They handed the suspect an undisclosed amount of money, and he quickly left in the Mercury.

He made a U-turn and headed toward West Boulevard. Police searched the area for several hours and were unable to locate the suspect.

Police released a sketch of the suspect, who is described as a black man with a medium complexion, light brown eyes and black hair in his mid 20s to early 30s. He stands about 5 feet, 10 inches to six feet tall, weighs between 150 and 170 pounds and has a thin, muscular build. He has tattoos, possibly tribal, of leaves or claws on his upper arms and lower neck. He was wearing a green bandana on the lower part of his face and was wearing a black and red sports shirt with long pants.

Anyone with any information about the suspect or the crime can call St. Clair County Sheriff's Investigator Scott Toth at 277-3505, ext. 5776, or Sgt. Daniel Stockett at 277-3505, ext. 5734. Anonymous tips are accepted.