Arrest made in MetroLink robberies and shooting, St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department says
A man charged in two MetroLink train robberies and an attempted robbery and shooting at the Scheel Street MetroLink station was arrested Friday in Belleville, according to the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department.
The U.S. Marshals Service arrested Cornell “Nelly” L. Boyd, 21, of East St. Louis without incident, said sheriff’s Sgt. James Hendricks.
He had already been charged with four felonies in connection with the crimes, but had not been arrested until now.
The St. Clair County State’s Attorney’s office charged Boyd with two counts of armed robbery, one count of attempted armed robbery and one count of aggravated battery with a firearm.
The robberies happened on MetroLink commuter trains on Dec. 20 and Dec. 21.
The shooting at the Scheel Street station happened on the night of Dec. 23. The victim was a 20-year-old Belleville man who was seriously injured during an attempted robbery.
The sheriff’s department described the crimes this way in a December news release:
On Wednesday, Dec. 20, around 7 p.m., a woman on a westbound train reported a man with a gun robbed her of personal items and an undisclosed amount of cash.
On Thursday, Dec. 21, around 10:30 p.m., a man on a westbound train reported a man with a handgun robbed him of personal items and an undisclosed amount of cash.
On Saturday, Dec. 23, around 11:30 p.m., deputies went to the Scheel Street station after receiving a report of someone being shot.
Following the crimes, authorities said they were increasing patrols around the trains in both Missouri and Illinois.
“Anyone who thinks they can commit a crime on MetroLink is wrong. It will not be tolerated,” St. Clair County Sheriff Richard Watson said Friday. “ We have mutual response from all law enforcement agencies. And we work together with Metro Public Safety to ensure the MetroLink stays as safe as possible.”
The sheriff thanked the U.S. Marshals Task Force, the St. Clair County State’s Attorney’s office and his investigators for their work..
This story was originally published January 26, 2024 at 12:45 PM.