Violent daylight robbery leads to two arrests
May 18—Two Logansport men were arrested in the aftermath of an alleged violent robbery on May 16.
James Edward McCoy, 46, has been charged with Level 3 felony robbery resulting in bodily injury, Level 6 felony possession of methamphetamine, Level 6 felony domestic battery and Level 6 felony unlawful possession of a syringe.
When he was arrested, there was also a warrant for him out of Miami County.
Michael Christopher Duncan, 23, has been charged with Level 6 felony assisting a criminal, Class A misdemeanor false informing resulting in substantial hindrance to a law enforcement procedure and Class B misdemeanor visiting a common nuisance.
The alleged robbery happened about 5:42 p.m. at the intersection of 23rd and East Market streets in Logansport.
A police officer called to the scene found a crying woman at the Burger King, and she said she'd been attacked by a former boyfriend while coming from Walgreens to Burger King, talking with a male friend on the phone about meeting him there to eat.
During the call, McCoy rushed at her in the restaurant parking lot and hit her in the mouth with an open hand three times, she said.
He then started to strangle her and got her in a chokehold, dragging her towards the drive thru, according to court records.
After she could yell for help and did so, he punched her in the jaw and tried to get her phone away, then took her purse.
She told police that she slowly backed away while he started following, then he stopped and left while she went back to Walgreens to call police.
One witness followed McCoy to a dark blue GMC Sierra, where he was in the passenger seat, and the license plate showed it belonged to the man that the woman was on the phone with when McCoy allegedly attacked.
While the woman was giving a formal statement, another woman texted her stating that McCoy said she stole from him.
The only people who knew where the alleged victim was were the Sierra owner, the texter and her roommate, she told police.
When police went to McCoy's residence and knocked multiple times, a male voice yelled through the door that McCoy didn't live there, and the man refused to open the door and said his parole officer told him not to.
Police gained entry by removing the door hinges and found Duncan there and McCoy in a bedroom.
Court records state that the purse McCoy allegedly stole was on the bed next to his head and that drug-related items were in sight.
Using a warrant, police searched and found two syringes in the trash can by the bed, and the powder they'd seen on a mirror next to the bed tested positive as methamphetamine.
Under the mattress, they found the alleged victim's wallet and cards, a cellphone case, three black cellphones, a glass pipe with methamphetamine residue and a baggie of green, leafy substance that field tested as marijuana.
There were also three other cellphones on the kitchen table that police collected, and they took Duncan's phone.
In addition to the charges against McCoy, the Cass County Prosecutor's Office filed a request for an enhanced sentence because McCoy was convicted in June 2018 in Miami County of domestic battery in the presence of a child less than 16 years of age.
McCoy is also facing charges in Cass County from an Aug. 30 incident where an alleged robbery led to police searching his residence and finding drugs, according to court records.
He was charged then with Level 6 felony possession of methamphetamine, Level 6 felony possession of a narcotic drug and Level 6 felony unlawful possession of a syringe.
McCoy has his initial hearing on the new charges on Thursday, and a trial date and other dates will be set then.
His trial date for the previous charges is June 29.
Duncan had his initial hearing Tuesday and is set to appear in court for a pretrial hearing July 19, a final pretrial Aug. 19 and a trial Sept. 14.
Duncan's bond is set at $500 cash, and he was appointed an attorney due to his financial status.
Level 6 felonies carry a sentence of six months to 18 months.
Level 3 felonies carry a sentence of three years to 16 years.
Reach James D. Wolf Jr. at james.wolf@pharostribune.com or 574-732-5117
Twitter @JamesDWolfJr
