Suspect sought in 2 armed robberies on trains, shooting at Belleville MetroLink Station

Three armed robberies last week - two on MetroLink trains and the other at the Belleville station - are under investigation by the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department.

In the station incident, one person was shot and later treated for non-life threatening injuries, the department stated in a news release posted on its Facebook page. Photos of two people described as a suspect and a ``person of interest” are included with the posting.

The crimes happened Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, the release states.

Here are sheriff’s department accounts of the three crimes:

• On Wednesday 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 around 10:30 p.m., a man on a westbound train reported a man with a handgun approached him, robbing him of personal items and an undisclosed amount ot cash.
• On Saturday, around 11:30 p.m., deputies went to the Belleville MetroLink Station after receiving a report of someone being shot. The victim, reported in stable condition, was taken to a local hospital.

The release states that the ``suspect(s) are considered armed and dangerous.

“MetroLink officials at the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department, St. Louis County Police Department and the St. Louis Police Department have increased officers and patrols as a result of these incidents,” the release states.

This story was originally published December 26, 2023 at 8:28 AM.