Mobile police are searching for two armed suspects after a man was shot outside his apartment in a robbery that left him without his clothes and shoes, according to the Mobile Police Department.
Officers responded to the 500 block of Azalea Road late one evening after receiving a report of a shooting, said police spokeswoman Ashley Rains. When officers arrived, the victim told them he had been sitting outside his apartment when he was shot once in the hip during a robbery. The two suspects fled with his clothing and shoes.
The victim was transported to USA Medical Center with what police described as non-life-threatening injuries. Investigators said both suspects were described as Black men standing between 5-foot-6 and 5-foot-8, with dark complexions. Both wore all-black hoodies and had dark cloths covering their faces at the time of the attack, according to Rains. Each suspect was armed with a handgun.
Police said the pair now face first-degree robbery charges once identified and apprehended. First-degree robbery is a Class A felony in Alabama, reflecting the seriousness with which the department is pursuing the case given the use of a firearm during the offense.
Azalea Road is one of Mobile’s busier residential and commercial corridors, running through a mix of apartment complexes, retail centers and restaurants in the western part of the city. Robberies targeting residents outside their own homes, as opposed to businesses, tend to raise particular concern among neighbors because they can happen with little warning in areas people consider safe.
The Mobile Police Department is asking anyone with information about the shooting or the identities of the suspects to come forward. Tipsters can call Mobile Police directly at (251) 208-7211, contact Mobile CrimeStoppers at (251) 208-7000, or send a text to the Mobile Police Intel line at CRIMES (274637) using the keyword CRIME411. CrimeStoppers tips can be submitted anonymously and sometimes qualify for a cash reward if they lead to an arrest.
As of the initial report, no arrests had been announced in connection with the shooting, and police continued to ask residents in the Azalea Road area to review any home security footage from the time of the incident that might help identify the suspects.