Editor’s note: The Herald-Times is not naming the suspect in this case because it does not intend to follow this case through the court system.
A 40-year-old man is facing multiple felony charges in Monroe County with the latest incident happening on Aug. 5 when he allegedly stole a woman’s purse. A previous incident in Bloomington occurred on July 13, when he allegedly struck someone with a handgun. The Monroe County charges are just the latest in a long line of charges before courts in Marion, Johnson, Morgan and now Monroe counties.
Latest incident in Monroe County
In the Aug. 5 incident, court documents state that Bloomington police had a report of a robbery in progress at the Comfort Inn on Kinser Pike. The victim said she was outside in the parking lot of the hotel when a man walked up and asked for a cigarette. He then hit her purse, causing it to fall to the ground. He picked up the purse and ran off with her chasing after him. The man got into a vehicle and she took her JBL speaker she was holding and hit the windshield three times, causing significant damage, court documents say.
The man drove off and a Monroe County sheriff deputy spotted a vehicle matching the description of windshield damage near West Prospect and Madison streets. Standing on either side of the vehicle were a woman and a man, who matched the description provided by the victim. The sheriff officer’s car camera recorded the man bending down twice to the ground, with his arm making an underhand motion as if throwing something under the vehicle. Later, a bag with methamphetamine and heroin was found in that area.
The man and woman ran when officers approached them. The Bloomington police officer was walking back to his vehicle and heard officers commanding someone to show them their hands in a alleyway. He saw the suspect hiding behind bushes and deputies pulling him out. The officers found $200 in cash in the man’s left pocket — the same amount the victim reported was stolen.
When questioned later at the police department, the suspect said he and a friend traveled to Bloomington because of an outstanding warrant with Monroe County courts. He stated he planned to resolve it the next day but only gave vague answers about what he had been doing, denying he had narcotics and saying he ran because he knew he had an outstanding warrant.
Earlier Monroe County incident
That previous warrant was issued after Bloomington police arrested and charged the man with three counts of a Level 3 felony for criminal confinement, Level 5 intimidation and Level 5 felony battery with a deadly weapon. The initial call to Bloomington police on July 13 was for a man and woman who entered a Bloomington apartment without permission and would not allow anyone to leave. The man, who had a gun, then “pistol whipped” one of the victims in the head, court documents state.
After the pistol whipping, the victim told police the man began pointing the handgun at the three people in the apartment. When the property manager entered the apartment, the victim said the man pointed the gun at them as well, saying no one could leave because he was between them and the door.
After the three victims were allowed to leave, they called 911 but police did not find the man or woman.
Other charges in other courts
The man has faced charges, many of them felonies, in Marion County courts from November 2007 through 2019. He also had an appearance in Johnson County, where the charges were dismissed, and Morgan County where there were felony charges for unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon. The trial there was set for Aug. 4 but was rescheduled to Sept. 15 because the courthouse was shut down for a time.
Contact Carol Kugler at ckugler@heraldt.com.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Plainfield man faces felony charges of robbery, criminal confinement
Reporting by Carol Kugler, The Herald-Times / The Herald-Times
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Carol Kugler, The Herald-Times | USA TODAY Network
