Armed woman hijacks armored van

FARMINGTON – An armored van carrying money was hijacked Friday afternoon at the Mobil gas station on Karsch Blvd. According to police, a female suspect pointed a handgun at the driver of the truck and then stole the vehicle with the money inside. As of press time the hijacker remains at large.

&#8220At approximately 12:30 p.m. an armored van from Security Armored Car Service was making a pickup at the Mobil station on Karsch,” said Farmington Police Chief Rick Baker. &#8220There were two security officers with the van. The security guard that was the passenger went inside to make the pickup while the driver pumped gas into the van. The tank was just about full when a female walked up behind the driver who was pumping gas.”

Baker said when the driver turned to see the woman, she flourished a chrome revolver.

&#8220She told the driver ‘don’t you even move’,” Baker said. &#8220The driver then backed away from the door of the van. The van was running at the time and the suspect jumped into it and drove off from the scene.”

No one else was inside the van when the female suspect drove away in it.

Baker said the driver described the woman as in her late 20’s, Caucasian, medium height and dark colored hair.

&#8220The security guard believes a silver car that sat low to the ground was involved in the hijacking,” Baker said. &#8220The car drove off behind the armored vehicle.”

Ed Wolf III just got done paying for his gas at the Mobil station when he saw the armored vehicle pulling out of the parking lot.

&#8220As the armored vehicle was pulling out of the parking lot, the security guard was running towards the convenience store,” Wolf said. &#8220The truck had a female driver with brown hair.”

Wolf said he did not notice a vehicle following the armored van out of the Mobil’s parking lot.

Just after 1 p.m. police recovered the deserted armored van on a private driveway just off of Colony Church Road.

&#8220The van was still running with the backdoor open,” Baker said. &#8220We are in the process of interviewing witnesses who saw two vehicles pull into the private driveway behind the armored van. The vehicle descriptions that we have are a white or silver Chrysler Sebring without a front license plate and a white and red Chevy S-10 extended cab. The front of the truck is reportedly red while the rear end is white. The truck had body damage to the passenger side.”

A nearby farmer who had a camera mounted facing Colony Church Road actually captured the suspect vehicles on film.

&#8220A farmer who had been having some trouble with property vandals had a camera mounted facing the road,” Baker said. &#8220The camera shot on motion and captured the suspect vehicles leaving the driveway.”

Baker said the armored van was taken to the St. Francois County Jail for processing.

&#8220After we get done processing the armored vehicle we will allow the guards to take an inventory of what is inside of it,” Baker said &#8220After they check the logs we will know for sure how much money was taken. At this point all we know is that money was taken.”

Baker said the Federal Bureau of Investigation has been contacted in reference to the hijacking. In addition to the Farmington Police Department, the St. Francois County Sheriff’s Department and the Missouri State Highway Patrol are assisting in the investigation. If anyone has information they are asked to call (573) 756-6686.