BELLEVILLE, Ill. – Investigators with the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis are looking for the killer in what they call a random attack at a Belleville convenience store.
The Belleville Police Department released surveillance video from the night 51-year-old Doug Cimperman was killed during an armed robbery attempt at the ZX Gas Station where he was working Saturday night.
The video shows what appears to be an armed man running up to someone at a gas pump. That person is believed to be Cimperman. The video then shows the suspect entering the store and going to the cash register.
On Monday, there was a heightened police presence in the area around the store and in Cimperman’s neighborhood just a couple of miles away. A sign posted in the window says the store will be closing at 8 p.m. until further notice.
Cimperman was attacked just after 10:30 p.m. Saturday and the suspect fled on foot, according to police.
“We are working several leads. There is no doubt in this case we need the assistance from the public. We need them to check home surveillance systems,” said Capt. Mark Heffernan, deputy commander of the Major Case Squad. “This man should not have lost his life on Saturday night simply for going to work…Our hearts, our thoughts, go out to the family of the deceased. We’re doing everything we can to bring this individual, that executed their loved one, to justice.”
Investigators are still reviewing surveillance footage from area businesses. They’re asking people to jog their memories and report anything out of the ordinary, especially between the hours of 8 p.m. and midnight Saturday to the Major Case Squad at 618-355-9793.
