Residents of Belle Rive concerned

Tue, May 13 2008

— By KANDACE MCCOY
kandace.mccoy@register-news.com
JEFFERSON COUNTY - Residents of the village of Belle Rive are concerned about a recent incident in which an elderly man reported Saturday morning of being “tied up and attacked,” says mayor Don Wilkey.
At about 6:30 a.m. Saturday, a Jefferson County Sheriff’s deputy responded to a call placed by Noel Reeker, 87, of Belle Rive. Reeker informed the deputy he “woke up and discovered he was tied up.” He stated he did not know who allegedly tied him up, but the incident had occurred “sometime overnight.” Reeker was taken to Crossroads Community Hospital for treatment. The hospital refused to comment on his condition.
Jefferson County Sheriff Roger Mulch said though it’s not quite clear what allegedly occurred, Reeker appeared to be a “victim of robbery and aggravated battery.” An undisclosed amount of cash was found missing from Reeker’s residence, though information regarding any other property damage or theft has not been released.
The sheriff said Monday detectives were following a couple of leads.
“It’s a bad situation,” Wilkey said. “We don’t normally have this kind of stuff around here,” he added, describing the incident as a “brutal beating.”
As a result, Wilkey said the village board will be discussing the possibility of bringing back a neighborhood watch on Monday at their regular board meeting. The watch, he said, has not been implemented in quite some time, as interest in the group declined. The board will also discuss the possibility of acquiring a police officer, Wilkey said.
“Our sheriff department doesn’t have the manpower or funds to (patrol the county),” Wilkey added. “(Sheriff Mulch) can’t be everywhere at the same time.” He stated the board is “trying to get a handle” on the recent incident. “We’re going to try to make a decision of what we’re going to do.”
The Belle Rive Village Board will meet Monday at 5 p.m. at the Belle Rive Water Department.