Belleville McDonald’s robbed by 2 armed men

McDonald’s drive-ins are popular places for parents and their children. On December 28, the McDonald’s on Carlyle Avenue in Belleville also proved to be a popular place for two burglars who allegedly ran off with an undisclosed amount of cash from the restaurant. No suspects have been identified or arrested, but facts of the case could provide a fertile field for a criminal defense attorney.

The robbery began shortly before 5:30 a.m. on the Thursday after Christmas. According to employees who were interviewed by police, two men wearing masks and carrying handguns entered the restaurant and ordered everyone inside to lie on the floor. One of the men grabbed an employee and ordered her to open the safe in the restaurant’s office. The other man remained with the employees who were lying on the floor as they had been directed.

The men fled the restaurant, allegedly carrying an unknown amount of cash. The employee who was forced to open the safe was treated for minor injuries, but no one else was injured. No customers were in the restaurant at the time of the robbery. The two suspects were described by restaurant employees as being in their late 20s and about 5′ 8″ tall. Both men were described as wearing blue bandanas, dark pants and dark hooded sweatshirts.

The first reports of the crime did not state whether the restaurant had a closed-circuit TV surveillance system. Such systems are common in places that are open all night, and, if such a system were present in the Carlyle Avenue store, it could provide significant information about the identity of the suspects.

Source: Belleville News-Democrat, “Men robbed Belleville McDonald’s with handguns, police say,” Dana Rieck, Dec. 28, 2017