Armed thief takes cash from Cape movie theater

An armed robber got away with an undetermined amount of cash around 11 p.m. Wednesday from the Cape West 14 Cine at 247 Siemers Drive. According to police, he may be the same man who robbed a movie theater in Springfield, Mo., a few days ago.

A man accosted one of the managers who had just picked up the receipts from the last cash drawer and was headed back to his office, said patrolman Jason Selzer of the Cape Girardeau Police Department.

The suspect ordered the manager into an office where an assistant manager was working, then the suspect pulled a handgun. He ordered the assistant manager to put all the cash receipts into a trash can. After getting the money, the thief ordered the men to lie on the floor.

"He turned out the lights, closed the door and left with the money," Selzer said. "He told them 'stay on the floor and don't come out for 30 minutes or I will blow your heads off.'"

After a couple of minutes, one of the victims hit a silent alarm to alert police.

Selzer said that Wednesday was the opening day for "Spider-Man 2," and the suspect apparently had anticipated a large crowd and a large amount of cash at the box office.

About four or five days ago, Selzer said, a similar incident took place at a Wehrenberg Theatres operation in Springfield, Mo. Cape West 14 Cine is also a Wehrenberg-owned theater.

The suspect in Springfield fits the same general description: a black man in his late 20s or early 30s, about 5 feet 6 inches tall, stocky build, a small mustache and short hair. Wednesday night he was wearing a cream-colored shirt and shorts and white tennis shoes.

"If this is the same guy, he's going around on big box office, blockbuster openings," Selzer said. "People are putting money in and he's taking it out."

lredeffer@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 160