ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, March 16, 1996 TAG: 9603180122
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DIANE STRUZZI
Two Northwest Roanoke brothers reported that two armed, masked men broke into their home and robbed them Thursday night. Police said the incident is similar to at least nine other masked robberies that have occurred in Roanoke.
At about 10 p.m. Thursday, two men forced their way into the Grayson Avenue home of Clarence D. Phanelson, 20, and Kunta Keeling, 18, police said. The men wore masks and gloves. One of the men tied Keeling and his mother, Annette Phanelson, 41, in the rear of the house with duct tape. The men forced Clarence Phanelson to sit on the floor. Then the men searched the rooms of Clarence Phanelson and Keeling.
It hasn't been determined whether the robbers stole anything before they fled on foot, police said. No one was injured. Officers responded within minutes of the robbery and untied Keeling and Phanelson.
Police said the robbery did not appear to be random. Details were not available on four of the nine robberies police believe are similar to Thursday's incident.
Masked robbers have broken into at least three other Northwest Roanoke residences since February.
Last November, three men wearing ski masks broke into two homes - one in Southwest Roanoke and one in Southeast Roanoke.
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