May 20, 2019 ~ 3:43 p.m.
A 19-year-old Deepwater, MO, man has been charged in connection with an attempted robbery and an armed assault of guests and employees at a Holiday Inn Express in Lee’s Summit, MO, Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker announced today.
According to court records, Lee’s Summit police were called to the Holiday Inn Express in the 1200 block of NW Innovation Parkway in Lee’s Summit as a reported robbery was in progress.
A man wearing a yellow jersey was reportedly in the front lobby, threatening to shoot people. Officers found the suspect in the front lobby and took him into custody. Witnesses told police a man wearing a yellow shirt pointed a handgun at her and told her to get down. She ran and the suspect fell down and was not able to get her.
Another witness, a guest at the hotel, said the suspect removed a gun from his waistband and pointed it at him. “I’m going to shoot you,” the suspect reportedly said. The guest escaped when the suspect began to chase an employee. An employee said she saw the suspected chasing another employee with a gun.
She barricaded herself with another employee in an office. But the suspect entered through another door and told her to open the safe.
She escaped with the other employee after the suspect kicked her. And another employee said she saw the suspect, acting strange, leave the business, then re-enter and point a gun at her.
He beat her with his gun, then put a plastic bag over her head and tried to strangle her. He released her, then threw a vacuum at her, hitting her in the head.
Prosecutors requested a $250,000 bond.
*Charges are only accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until the defendant is either found guilty or has pleaded.
