West Park Mall employee lauded for brave act

Daniel Ellinghouse, a supervisor at Best Buy Mobile in Cape Girardeau's West Park Mall, decided to take matters into his own hands on a recent Saturday when a sales clerk across the way screamed, "I've been robbed!"

Clad in slacks and slick-soled dress shoes, Ellinghouse set off after two men trying to flee. As a result, Ellinghouse wound up with a broken leg.

At 7:25 p.m. Aug. 16, Ellinghouse was standing by his storefront, chatting with a fellow employee and waiting for his next customer, when he heard a cry for help from Megan Douglas at Rogers Jewelers. She had been approached by two men who asked to see two sets of earrings, then darted off with the merchandise.

The incident came on the heels of a rash of thefts at the shopping center, and Ellinghouse decided enough was enough. So he chased after the robbers, later being dubbed the "Dark Knight of West Park" for his spontaneous act of courage.

"He's definitely brave," Douglas said. "I'm very grateful for him."

Her plea for help hadn't just attracted Ellinghouse's attention, either.

As Mohammad Karim, manager of a cellphone accessory kiosk, turned in the direction of the commotion, Ellinghouse ran past him. Curious, Karim quickly followed the 10-year Best Buy veteran to the parking lot.

It was there Karim first saw the two purported shoplifters as they got into a black four-door car. Its driver had left the automobile running after backing into a parking space near the main entrance.

Karim watched as Ellinghouse positioned himself in front of the car, blocking the culprits' exit.

"I didn't think I could keep them from leaving," Ellinghouse admitted. "I just needed more time to get their license plate number ... and catch my breath."

"It was pretty crazy," Karim said. "I've never seen anyone do anything like that before."

Suddenly the vehicle's tires started squealing. Realizing the car was about to lunge forward, Ellinghouse started to jump out of the way, but was too late. The automobile's front end clipped his shin, and he was momentarily airborne before landing facedown on the hood. As the suspects turned out of the parking spot, their pursuer slid off the vehicle and collapsed onto the pavement. Ellinghouse had a broken leg.

When asked why he put himself in harm's way instead of calling authorities, Ellinghouse replied: "There wasn't time. I was praying that when I made it outside, mall security would be close by and I could flag them down. But they weren't. I wasn't trying to catch [the alleged perpetrators]. I knew the cops would need to know what they were driving, so I kept going. I did it because a lot of the stores in the mall have been getting robbed lately."

He also said he doesn't see anything special about what he did.

"I was just being a concerned citizen. It's how I was raised."

He's refusing financial assistance for his medical expenses.

Ellinghouse's knee is immobilized, and he will be in a cast during his wedding less than three weeks away. He had planned on a 260-mile hike of the Ozark Trail in October.

Darin Hickey, Cape Girardeau Police Department's public information officer, confirmed the incident was preceded by two other mall thefts in a 30-day period at Radio Shack and J.C. Penney. Hickey said the number of shoplifting claims is not unusual, adding: "It's typical for this time of year."

Meanwhile, Ellinghouse is being heralded as a citizen-hero by those who work with him. Maryann Sample, owner of Imagine That, said: "Every single one of us should go in Best Buy [Mobile] and shake that man's hand because, honestly, people just don't want to get involved anymore. They don't care unless it's them. Dan is one of a kind. I feel like the world is a better place because of him."

Not everyone is as appreciative of what Ellinghouse did -- particularly his fiancee, Carrie Creasy.

"Daniel wasn't too hot on the idea of having to dance with me in front of a lot of people at our wedding, and this was his way of getting out of it," she said, chuckling.

"Pretty cheap if you ask me," she added with a wink.

The suspects are still at large.