For some criminals, Halloween is a favorite time of year, the perfect excuse to wear a disguise, carouse neighborhoods at dusk and leave crime victims with useless description for police, like, “a guy in Freddy Krueger mask.” It’s one thing to hide behind a costume while knocking over a pharmacy, as one presumed drug addict did this Halloween dressed head-to-toe in surgical garb. It’s another thing altogether to use the nonholiday as an excuse to show up on someone’s door, push the owner to the ground and take all the candy meant for the children. One masked man who tried that this year discovered police have a name for such trick-or-treat strategy: strong-arm robbery.

Masked Man
n10/31/06, 11:36
nBanks stopped customers from wearing costumes inside years ago. An 1100 East pharmacy might want to make the same policy in the future. The sight of a man entering the store in surgical scrubs might not have been that out of place, except that he was also wearing a surgical cap and surgical mask. He entered the pharmacy, pulled out a gun and presented a note demanding Oxycontin. After receiving the drugs he fled from the store to a rear alley where he was driven away by an accomplice in a blue minivan.

Candy Invasion
n10/31/06, 18:09
nA 23-year-old woman was handing out candy at her Princeton Avenue home when Freddy Krueger and someone in a Scream mask showed up. The two masked criminals pushed the woman to the ground, took her candy and fled in a gray Volvo. The woman took down the license plate of the car, allowing police to track down one of the suspects, an 18-year-old who was arrested for strong-arm robbery.

Meth Takes a Holiday
n11/03/06, 21:53
nResponding to a report of trespassers at a home on 400 East, officers found an open door and a stolen Dodge pickup truck in the driveway. As officers were checking out the inside of the house, finding no one at home, a large motor home pulled into the driveway and two men came to the front door. Surprised by police inside the home, one man was arrested for an outstanding warrant and possession of meth. Officers had to chase the second man who was caught and arrested on an outstanding fugitive warrant.

Traffic Jacked
n11/04/06, 0:29
nA man had stopped at a traffic light on South Redwood Road when a black Chevy SUV pulled up next to him. One of the four men in the SUV got out, walked over to the other car and punched the driver in the face. The other three also exited the SUV and began kicking and punching their victim. Finally, one of the SUV occupants pulled a gun and demanded money, which the driver of the first car turned over.

Wrong House
n11/05/06, 3:36
nAn apartment resident answered the knock at a 700 North door to find a man standing outside who asked if he could use the phone. When the request was refused, a second man appeared wearing a ski mask and holding a gun and a gym bag. The two forced their way into the apartment and the masked man went directly to the back bedroom. The suspects left, having apparently not found what they were looking for. Both were arrested when an officer pulled over a Ford truck spotted leaving the area. Inside, police found the gun, the gym bag, meth, cash and jewelry.