Poplar Bluff man severely beaten during robbery

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- A Poplar Bluff man is in satisfactory condition at a Cape Girardeau hospital after he was badly beaten by what authorities describe as "cowardly thugs" during a strong-arm robbery.

Kenneth E. Gilbreath, 53, suffered severe injuries to his face and head during the attack, including multiple fractures of his forehead, facial bones and sinuses, Poplar Bluff Police Detective Greg Brainard said in his report.

Gilbreath was injured while walking to his Sanders Street home from the Poplar Bluff school bus garage, where he is employed, sometime before 9:30 p.m. Friday, Sgt. Bob Moore said in his report. Moore found Gilbreath kneeling on the north side of Maud Street at 9:47 p.m.

"He was walking east on Maud Street, just east of North Ninth Street, when he observed four male subjects," Moore said. "The subjects were walking west on Maud Street in the middle of the street.

"One of the subjects approached him and said something, which he did not understand."

According to the report, Gilbreath said he ignored them and continued walking east as the men continued walking west.

"The subjects confronted him from behind and pushed him to the ground," Moore said. "One of the subjects struck him with something, which knocked his eyeglasses off.

"He struggled with one of the subjects after they took his wallet from his rear pants pocket."

The men, according to Gilbreath's statement to Moore, fled and Gilbreath was able to stand up; however, "they returned and struck him again, knocking him to the ground. The subjects then fled west on Maud Street."

Gilbreath, who had "noticeable bruising" around his left eye, was taken by private vehicle to Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center for treatment, Moore said.

"He was later transferred to Cape Girardeau due to a skull fracture above his left eye," Moore said.

On Saturday morning, officers conducted a search of Ferguson Grove and the surrounding area for Gilbreath's wallet, Lt. Don Trout said in his report.

About 10:45 a.m., Trout said, he was contacted on the parking lot at Ninth and Maud streets by a woman who reported finding a wallet just south of that location.

Trout said he retrieved the wallet, which contained Gilbreath's driver's license.

"We have recovered some evidence, which is being sent to the crime lab and hope will result in DNA evidence coming forth because we know the suspects handled the items of evidentiary value," said police chief Danny Whiteley, who sent Brainard to the Cape Girardeau hospital Saturday morning to further interview Gilbreath and check on his well being.

Gilbreath, according to Whiteley, was sitting up Saturday while Brainard was there and is in satisfactory condition.

"He had a conversation with the victim and we determined, at that point, it was four black males that assaulted him," Whiteley said.

Gilbreath provided Brainard with an account similar to the one he told Moore.

Gilbreath reported being hit from behind and knocked to the ground, Brainard said.

"He got back up, turned to fight back, and he was knocked to the ground again and his glasses were knocked off," Brainard said. "He was kicked numerous times from behind and his wallet taken."

This was "obviously a group of cowardly thugs that felt safe when they had an older individual outnumbered four to one," said Whiteley.

The department, Whiteley said, is restructuring its patrol functions to "dedicate more manpower to patrol in the areas that are problematic for us.

"We are relying on the public to report suspicious activity and any information on criminal activity" to the department.