By By Marianne Todd/The Meridian Star
March 27, 2001
Meridian police are investigating three armed robberies that took place Sunday in parking lots.
Lt. Wade Johnson, spokesman, said a woman was robbed of her purse at gunpoint in the Cloverleaf Shopping Center parking lot around 3 p.m.
Johnson said the victim, who was returning to her car, was approached by a black woman who brandished a small-caliber handgun and demanded money. The robber, last seen in the Cloverleaf area driving what appeared to be a white Daewoo Elantra, was wearing a dark-colored windsuit and a blue baseball cap.
In an unrelated robbery, police were called to the Econo Lodge parking lot after a man there reported he was robbed by two men and then hit on the head with an unknown object, Johnson said.
The robbery occurred around 5 a.m. Johnson said the thieves stole the man's wallet, which contained cash and other personal items.
Johnson said he does not know if the man received medical treatment for his injuries. The gunman is described as 5 feet 10 inches tall with a slim build.
Police are still searching for a gunman and four accomplices who robbed a Meridian man at gunpoint around 3 a.m. Johnson said police were called to the Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center Emergency Room to investigate. The man had been brought to the emergency room to receive treatment after the gunman struck him in the face with a 9mm handgun.
Johnson said the victim reported he was robbed in a parking lot across from The Midnight Sun on B Street. The gunman, who took a necklace from the man, is described as 6 feet 2 inches tall and wearing a dark-colored hat over a cornrow hairstyle.
Johnson said residents can best prevent such robberies by being aware of their surroundings and by being cautious.
Johnson said residents who see someone who makes them uncomfortable should move to a public place or drive away.
Residents with information about these robberies can call CrimeStoppers at 485-1860.
Marianne Todd is a staff writer for The Meridian Star. E-mail her at mtodd@themeridianstar.com.