Handyman robbed after interrupting house burglary

ISLE OF PALMS — A handyman became an armed-robbery victim after he interrupted a burglary in progress at a rental home Thursday, police said.

The man had gone to do some work at 2302 Palm Blvd. shortly before 11 a.m. He glazed windows in back of the house for 15 minutes or longer, assuming that a car parked out front belonged to other workers. But when he walked through the front door, two men punched him, held a gun to his head and took his wallet, police Lt. Ray Wright said.

"He was jumped, pretty much in the lobby on the ground floor," Wright said. "They were caught in the middle of what was going on. They didn't get away with anything."

The beach community had seen an unusually high number of break-ins during the fall and winter, about four dozen in all. Most involved stolen flat-screen televisions.

Problems had stopped after two separate groups of people were arrested in January and February. In one case, police said housekeepers broke into rental properties they were supposed to be cleaning. In the other, authorities said, a cleaning woman had been using an unoccupied house as a base to commit other burglaries with family members and an acquaintance.

After the latest incident, the 28-year-old handyman stood in front of the house, talking to police. He was physically OK, but shaken up and declined to speak about what happened.

Police said the robbers escaped in a maroon four-door Honda Civic.

One was slim with short hair and appeared to be in his early 20s, police said. He was black, 5 feet 5 inches to 5 feet 9 inches tall and 125 pounds. He appeared to be left-handed because he held the gun in that hand, police said.

The second robber also was black, about 20 years old with short hair, but much larger. Police described him as 6-foot-3 to 6-foot-5 and 275 to 300 pounds. Both men carried handguns, Wright said.

Anyone with information about suspects can call Isle of Palms police at 886-6522. Anonymous tips can be left through Crime Stoppers at 554-1111 or www.5541111.com.

Reach Noah Haglund at 937-5550 or nhaglund@postand courier.com.