Danville Police are probing a vehicular hijacking and the latest in a series of armed robberies of food delivery drivers.
Police Commander Joshua Webb says officers responded to the area of the 900 block of East Fairchild Street around 7:40 p.m. Friday on a report of a vehicular hijacking. The female victim told police she had just parked her vehicle when she was approached by five black males. Two of the men were armed with handguns and the woman was grabbed by one who pulled her out of the vehicle. The victim said all five of the suspects then got into her vehicle and fled…leaving her behind.
Danville Police found the vehicle a short while later abandoned in the 1000 block of Shasta Drive. When officers returned the vehicle the victim said several items were missing from it, including her purse and other belongings. The woman was not hurt. She described the suspects as being black males who were possibly in their late teens or early twenties.
In a separate incident…Danville Police are investigating the armed robbery of a food delivery driver shortly before 9:00 p.m. Sunday. A male delivery driver for a local restaurant said he was making a delivery in the unit block of Cronkhite Street when he was approached by two black males. One of them was armed with a handgun. The victim was robbed of an undisclosed amount of cash and the food he was delivering. And the robbers also took the victim’s vehicle and drove off. Danville Police later found the stolen vehicle in the area of Fairweight and Factory Streets.
One of the robbers was described as a black male wearing all black clothing, with a black cloth over his face. The other was described as a black male wearing a grey shirt. There were no injuries reported during the incidents. Police say that…at this time…there is no information to indicate the two incidents may be related.
The investigation into both incidents continues, and anyone who has information that might help solve these crimes is asked to call Danville Police at (217) 431-2250….or Vermilion County Crime Stoppers at (217) 446-TIPS.
