x
Breaking News
More () »

Man shoots woman in head, steals her purse on West Main Street in Belleville

Police said the woman was walking toward the store on the 9200 block of West Main Street when an armed man walked up to her and demanded her purse.

BELLEVILLE, Ill. — One of Joseph Trover's employees has been by his side even before he took over his father's prepackaged sandwich business, Trover Co. Triple Sticks in Belleville.

"She's been with us over 40 years. Amazing person. She works for me and my father before. I can remember being eight or nine in the office and she'd actually babysit me," Trover said.

Wednesday morning, Belleville Police were called to the business at 9200 West Main Street after she was robbed by a male suspect at gunpoint.

Trover said the suspect was sitting here at the bus stop when his employee drove into the parking lot around 8 a.m. for work. 

When she parked, he approached her car.

"Ultimately he robbed her of some personal stuff. He also fired a gun and she was injured," Trover said.

Police say the suspect demanded she hand over her purse. 

The two struggled, he took the purse and shot a handgun towards the victim. The bullet hit her head.

Police are calling the whole ordeal, a random act of violence, confirming that woman has no connection to the suspect.

"She has since gone to the hospital and been released. She is at home resting and she should be okay," Trover said.

Belleville Police posted the information on Facebook, saying the suspect was a teen or man in his early 20s, 5-feet-7-inches to 5-feet-9-inches tall.

They're asking residents in the area to check their home cameras for the suspect around the time of the incident.

"This is an awful thing and we're going to do everything we can to never let it happen again," Trover said.

Trover gave police their outdoor surveillance footage.

Police are still looking for the suspect and believe he is armed and dangerous.

They're asking anyone who has any information or surveillance footage to call their investigations division at 618-234-1212.

Resources for crime victims:

If you have been a victim of a crime or know someone who has been, 5 On Your Side has compiled a list of resources.

Better Family Life is a nonprofit community development organization working to “stabilize inner-city neighborhoods.” One aspect of its mission is a gun violence de-escalation program.

To learn more, call 314-381-8200 or visit https://www.betterfamilylife.org/

Life Outside of Violence “helps those harmed by stabbing, gunshot or assault receive the treatment, support and resources they need to find alternatives to end the cycle of violence.”

To learn more, call 314-327-6697 or email: ProjectLOV@WUSTL.edu

The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis has an anti-crime program called “Safety Net for Youth Initiative,” which is a joint partnership between and Saint Louis Public Schools to provide services to at-risk youth.

To learn more, visit https://www.ulstl.com/anti-crime-initiative.html

Cure Violence is an international organization that has recently launched in a handful of St. Louis neighborhoods. Violence interrupters are trained to deescalate violent situations within their own communities. To learn more, visit https://cvg.org/

Before You Leave, Check This Out