01/29/2013 - Report #514 - Victim: 35 Robbery Victims - Location: East St. Louis, IL
MCS Report #515
Classification: Armed Robbery
Requesting Agency: East St. Louis Police Department
Date of Activation: 01/29/2013
Commander and Department: Maj. Tom Coppotelli, Collinsville PD
Deputy Report Officer and Department: Det. Tom Boyd, Mascoutah PD
Victim: 35 Robbery Victims
Suspects: Howard L. Dotson Jr., Rufus L. Thomas Jr., Kenneth C. Walton IV
The East St. Louis Police Department requested the assistance of the Major Case Squad in investigating the Armed Robbery of 35 victims. At approximately 5:30pm, East St. Louis police officers responded to IRA Grove Free Wil Baptist Church in the 1700 block of Belmont Street for a report of an armed robbery. It was reported three men entered the church during a church service and demanded valuables.
As a result of this investigation, 12 counts of Armed Robbery with a bond of $2,000,000 was issued on each of the following suspects:
Howard Dotson Jr. (age 17)
Rufus Thomas Jr. (age 20)
Kenneth Walton IV (age 20)
Additionally Kenneth Walton IV was also charged with a felony count of Obstructing Justice. His bond was set at $75,000 for that charge.
Simone C. Foster (age 25) was charged with Obstruction of Justice for withholding information from authorities in the investigation. Her bond was set at $35,000.
