Suspect faces 2 felony charges

A 23-year-old man who admitted to stabbing a Ramada Limited Motel clerk during a robbery could serve as many as 100 years in prison or as few as 20, if convicted. \nDefendant Chad A. Luck faces one count of attempted murder and one count of robbery resulting in serious bodily injury. Both charges are class A felonies with maximum fines of $10,000 each. \nMonroe County Circuit Judge Douglas R. Bridges set Luck's surety at $100,000 Wednesday. His next court appearance will be a pre-trial conference May 25. \nBloomington police arrested Luck March 26 after receiving a tip from one of his family members who indicated Luck wanted to turn himself over to authorities, said BPD Captain Joe Qualters. Luck met with the police and confessed, Qualters said. \nLuck told police that he "was familiar with" the motel clerk and had visited him earlier that morning to ask if he could give him money from the cash drawer, but the clerk refused. \nQualters said Luck told BPD he needed the money to pay off drug purchasing debts. \nAt about 5:30 a.m., Luck returned a second time and attacked the clerk, 32, with a knife and a gun while his back was turned, according to the report given to the police by the victim. The clerk said the suspect slashed him in the neck until he collapsed, according to the report. \nAt that point, the clerk said, Luck broke into the cash drawer. Qualters said the suspect returned to the clerk, explaining that he could not trust him not to reveal his identity to the authorities, then bludgeoned him with an unknown object until the clerk became unconscious. \nQualters said the victim was transferred from Bloomington Hospital to Wishard Memorial Hospital in Indianapolis for the treatment of several knife wounds and one gunshot wound. Qualters said the victim has since been released.