
By Howard Packowitz
NORMAL – Normal Police are investigating an armed robbery of a taxi driver and a separate shooting that happened about a half-hour earlier Sunday night, but the crimes are apparently not related.
Police said the cab driver suffered minor head injuries after one of two passengers displayed a handgun and demanded money in a parking lot in the 200 block of South Linden Street, across from the Normal Police Department.
The suspects ran away after stealing an undisclosed amount of cash. Police are looking for two black males, but have not released a more detailed description of the suspects.
The hold-up happened a little after 9 p.m., about 30 minutes after shots were fired in northwest Normal, damaging a car.
Police said no one was wounded, but officers said they found three or four bullet holes in a car parked in a lot in the 700 block of South Golfcrest Road in Normal.
Investigators said they found at least one bullet casing from a handgun. There have been no arrests. The shooting happened about 8:30 p.m.
Authorities are asking anyone with information about the robbery or shooting to call Normal Police at 309-454-9535, or McLean County Crime Stoppers at 309-828-1111.
Howard Packowitz can be reached at [email protected]