Staff Writer

Jan. 31, 2000 9 PM

Two men are behind bars accused of robbing and kidnapping a Troy man.

Timothy Brent Crawford, 18, of Highland Home and Julius Maurice Minor, 20, of Grady are in the Pike County Jail in connection with a Saturday morning robbery and kidnapping of Jeffrey Alan King Jr. of Banks. Each man’s bond was set at $200,000 with a stipulation half must be paid in cash before they are free.

Troy Police Chief Anthony Everage praised his officers for quickly apprehending the suspects.

"I feel like our patrol officers being aware of the situation that occurred and being on the lookout did, in fact,…lead to the arrest of those accused of these crimes," Everage said.

"Around midnight Saturday, Mr. King was approached by a black male and a white male in the Wal-Mart parking lot. One of the suspects asked the victim for a ride, entered his car and pulled a gun, demanding he drive to the back of the store," said Sgt. Benny Scarbrough, public information officer for the TPD. "The other suspect followed in another vehicle."

The men bound King and left the area.

"At that time the victim was bound and robbed by the unknown assailants, then put in the suspects’ vehicle," Scarbrough said. "After driving around for an undetermined amount of time, they returned to Wal-Mart, where more property was taken from the victim, who was threatened with bodily harm."

The victim was, then, put in the trunk of his own vehicle, driven to the Walnut Creek Bridge south of Troy on U.S. 231 and left. He was able to free himself and drive back to Wal-Mart.

"The victim had a compact car and was able to enter the cab of the vehicle through a hatch in the trunk," Scarbrough said. "He found the keys still in the ignition of the vehicle."

Once the victim made it back to Wal-Mart, he called the police, Scarbrough said.

Shortly after King’s description of the Isuzu Rodeo the men were driving was announced over the radio, officers spotted a vehicle fitting the description with two males inside, who again fit King’s description of them. During a routine traffic stop, the officer discovered property ­ which had been reported stolen ­ in the vehicle.

A subsequent investigation resulted in the arrests of Crawford and Minor.

Everage said it was "good police work" by the officers that resulted in catching the two men.

"It was a case of being observant and taking the time and caution necessary to make a clean arrest. Just a really top-notch job of policework by those who made this arrest."