A 17-year-old juvenile was charged with attempted armed robbery Monday after attempting to rob an apartment on Eastgate Lane with an unknown acquaintance.
Both suspects are believed to be from Indianapolis and Bloomington Police Department is still investigating the case.
On Monday at about 12:40 a.m., police responded to a call about a disturbance at 2539 E. Eastgate Lane.
Two male suspects, wielding a shotgun and a handgun, entered an apartment there. They immediately demanded the phones of the two residents and three visitors who were in the apartment. At this point, one of the visitors at the apartment made a call to 911 and alerted police to the situation.
The residents of the apartment fought back against the suspects and one of them was struck in the head while he wrestled one suspect to the ground. The other suspect fled with several of the cell phones, and police are still searching for him.
BPD Capt. Steve Kellams said it looked like the robbery was an attempted drug rip-off. There were signs, including marijuana and pills, of drug dealing in the apartment.
The victim who helped wrestle one of the suspects to the ground was taken to the hospital for a cut on the left side of his head. He had been hit by the shotgun while trying to subdue the suspect.
The suspect who was captured by residents was taken to the hospital for minor injuries before being taken to the police station.
The suspect’s father arrived and the two refused to answer any questions, Kellams said. The youth was then charged with armed robbery and taken to Southwest Indiana Regional Youth Village, a youth at-risk center near Vincennes, Indiana.
Dominick Jean
