Cops Hunt For Armed Robber In Reagan Mask

NOVEMBER 2--A Florida man told police early today that he was robbed at gunpoint by a man wearing a Ronald Reagan mask.

The stickup reportedly occurred around midnight on a Bradenton street, according to a Manatee County Sheriff’s Office incident report. The victim, 41-year-old Anthony Williams, told cops that the robber was dressed in black and carried a “black semi automatic pistol.”

Williams said he was robbed of $65, and that the man in the Reagan mask fled on foot from the crime scene. Williams told a sheriff’s deputy that he returned home following the robbery--which occurred around the corner from his apartment--and called his pastor, who advised him to contact law enforcement.

In an interview, Williams said that he believes the robbery suspect is a man who was seen Halloween evening wearing a Reagan mask at a local arcade. Williams, who is unemployed, added that the man was a local troublemaker who is known to snatch purses.

No arrest has been made in connection with the incident, which police have classified as a robbery with a deadly weapon. (1 page)