Robber shoots his way into game room

Published 12:00 am Friday, April 9, 2004

A local suspect was arrested Thursday for the early morning armed robbery of the 777 Game Room in Livingston.

Eric Lamont Coats, 26, of Livingston, was arrested for robbery I.

He reportedly entered the arcade, located at Nobel’s Truck Stop on Highway 28 West, yesterday at approximately 3 a.m., according to Livingston Police Chief Ashley Welborn.

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He shot his way into the business, according to a police statement. Gunshots were fired, shattering a glass door, the police chief said.

A description of the suspect was given to police. Within an hour, Coats was in custody.

A majority of the currency and other items taken in the robbery were recovered by the combined efforts of Livingston Police, the Sumter County Sheriff’s Department and University of West Alabama Police. Welborn would not disclose the amount of money stolen.

A weapon and clothes the suspect used in the robbery were also recovered.

The 777 Game Room is a 24-hour-a day establishment. However, only the clerk and another employee were in the game room at the time of the incident. The employees did not know the suspect, Welborn said.

Coats was placed in the Sumter County Jail. His bond is set at $50,000. The case is still under investigation, and other charges are possible.