Armed robber hits Ameristar, customer|[2/14/06]

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, February 14, 2006

A Hinds County man suspected of using a handgun to rob an Ameristar Casino teller and assault a patron while carjacking his vehicle Monday night remained on the run this morning, Vicksburg police said.

Vicksburg police were working with Hinds County officials to find Thomas McGriggs, 21, identified from a cell phone dropped by the suspect during his getaway, said Capt. Mark Culbertson.

Surveillance tapes show a man identified as McGriggs walk up to a money counter in the casino at 4116 Washington St. at 6:06 p.m., pull a handgun and order the teller to put cash into a white bag, Culbertson said.

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In the parking lot, the suspect assaulted a Flowood couple in a gold 2002 Ford Explorer, hitting the driver with the gun and making the couple leave the vehicle before driving away in an unknown direction.

The Flowood man was treated and released from River Region Medical Center for a blow to his head, Culbertson said. The teller was also treated and released.

&#8220She was pretty shaken up,” Culbertson said.

Police have warrants for McGriggs’ arrest on charges of armed robbery, aggravated assault and carjacking. He was previously convicted of felony malicious mischief, Culbertson said. McGriggs’ last known address was on Old Port Gibson Road near Raymond in Hinds County.

Ameristar declined to release a statement while the investigation is ongoing, said casino spokesman Traci Hayes.

The amount of money stolen was not known this morning, Culbertson said. &#8220They’re trying to do a countdown of the cage to figure out what was taken,” he said.

Police were using surveillance tapes to determine if McGriggs was speaking to anyone else inside the casino before or during the robbery. The tapes show McGriggs waited near the casino window for about 6 minutes for customers to clear out before approaching the teller. The tapes also show the suspect was talking on the cell phone before and during the hold-up. As he escaped, the suspect dropped a bag of money and the phone, Culbertson said.

&#8220We were able to contact some numbers he’d dialed on the phone and identify him,” Culbertson said. Some of the money remained with the suspect when he left, Culbertson added.

The license plate on the stolen Explorer is Rankin County 741 RBB, Culbertson said. The vehicle has been listed and photos of the suspect have been placed on the National Crime Information Center database.