x
Breaking News
More () »

Charges: Armed robbers pretended to be police to get homeowner to open door

The victim told police she and her 8-year-old son were made to lie face-down on the boy's bedroom floor as four men "ransacked" the house and demanded money.

BELLEFONTAINE NEIGHBORS, Mo. — Two men are facing charges after police say they impersonated police to get a woman to open her door, robbed and threatened her and her young son at gunpoint and then led officers on a pursuit.

Nathaniel Allen Gibson, 33, and Jadan Khalil Martin, 19, were each charged with first-degree robbery, first-degree burglary, two counts of armed criminal action, endangering the welfare of a child, resisting with arrest and false impersonation of a law enforcement officer. Gibson was additionally charged with unlawful possession of a firearm.

According to a probable cause statement filed by a Bellefontaine Neighbors police officer, police responded to Yukon Drive for an "open line" 911 call in which a dispatcher could hear a home invasion occurring. The dispatcher could hear people saying things like "Where's the money? Where is it?"

An officer arrived at the home and saw three men running out of the front door with the victim's keys and purse. Two men appeared to have pistols and one appeared to have a rifle.

The men got into an SUV parked on the lawn with two other suspects inside and sped off.

Officers began a pursuit, which ended a few minutes later when the SUV hit a curb and came to a stop. An officer then chased Gibson on foot and told him to get on the ground a few houses down from where the SUV stopped.

According to the probable cause statement, Gibson pulled off a camouflage vest that held a loaded Ruber SR9 pistol and threw it away from himself, and then got on the ground.

Officers canvassing the area stopped Martin about six houses down from the SUV.

Police said Gibson and Martin were pictured on the victim's doorbell camera as being among four men holding what appeared to be guns while they banged on her door and yelled "police" and "ATF." 

Credit: St. Louis County Jail
From left to right: Nathaniel Gibson and Jadan Martin

Once they got her to open the door, the group made the woman and her 8-year-old son lie face-down on the boy's bedroom floor as they "ransacked" the house and demanded money, the probable cause statement said.

"The suspects were saying, 'Take that b—' and 'get rid of her' and kill that b—' while pointing guns at the victim and her son," the probable cause statement said.

Gibson and Martin both matched descriptions given by the victim, police said.

Both men were being held on $500,000 bond.

Police did not release further information on the other suspects involved or whether they intended to pursue further charges in the case.

Before You Leave, Check This Out