
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, October 20, 1995                   TAG: 9510200036
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: DIANE STRUZZI STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

STREET ATTACKS BY YOUNG MEN TIED TO ANOTHER

In three separate incidents early Wednesday, men walking on Roanoke streets were beaten by a group of young men driving a red car. Police can find no motive for the attacks and are linking the three incidents with another that occurred two weeks ago.

In each, the victim has described his assailants as white men in their late teens or early 20s. The car they drove was described by at least one victim as a Ford Mustang.

At about 12:40 a.m. Wednesday, police found Richard C. St.Clair, 35, lying in the street in the 1000 block of Bullitt Avenue Southeast. St.Clair was bleeding from his head and was treated at Roanoke Memorial Hospital. Police said a witness told them three white men had been seen fleeing the area in a red vehicle.

Thirty minutes later, Roanoke police found a 60-year-old man in the 4700 block of Williamson Road Northwest bleeding from the head.

Police officials said William Stoops told them he was a resident of an adult home and was walking in the area when three men in a red car stopped and beat him. Police said it appeared that Stoops had been beaten with a bottle or bottles. He was treated at Roanoke Memorial Hospital.

Police said Greg Medley, 39, told them he was walking in the 1200 block of Church Avenue Southeast about 2:10 a.m. when he was attacked by four white men in a red vehicle. Medley ran to a nearby house and called police. He was treated for minor injuries at Roanoke Memorial Hospital.

In the earlier incident, David Bryan Stiff, 24, told police he was walking on Ninth Street Southeast about 2:30 a.m. Oct. 8 when a red Mustang stopped and the driver asked for directions. As Stiff approached the car, he was grabbed by a passenger. The car accelerated, and Stiff was dragged about 10 feet. He was treated at Roanoke Memorial Hospital for injuries to his face, leg and back.

In other incidents, Roanoke police said:

The 7-Eleven at 2402 Grandin Road S.W. was robbed late Wednesday. The store clerk said a man hit her in the head and pushed her into a back room about 11:15 p.m. The man wore a black coat and black gloves and took an undisclosed amount of cash from the register. The clerk was treated at Community Hospital of Roanoke Valley for an eye injury.

Two men holding a knife accosted a pizza delivery woman on Blair Road Southwest late Wednesday. The men approached the Domino's Pizza delivery woman and grabbed her by the hair as she was getting into her car. Police officials said she told them one held a knife. She was able to escape and fled in her car. The woman was not injured, and no money was taken.

by CNB