A sinister clown tattoo on a Marion man’s leg led to his arrest last month when he attempted to hide his identity May 25 by wearing a mask and hat as he pointed a gun at a Marion convenience store clerk and demanded money, according to a search warrant.
Jamey Lee Heil, 26, was wearing a white mask, black-and-white hat with a “Pennywise” logo — a character from a Stephen King horror novel — and dark hooded sweatshirt, the warrant affidavit stated. The clerk at Kum & Go, 1203 Blairs Ferry Rd. in Marion, didn’t see his face, but said the robber told her to “pop the register” and then pulled up his sweatshirt to display a black pistol in his waistband.
Jamey Heil (Linn County Jail)
Surveillance video showed the suspect, later identified as Heil, pulling out a black pistol, using his left hand and holding the gun close to his body as he demanded money. He had a visible tattoo on his right hand and both legs and appeared to be between 5-foot-5 to 5-foot-8 with a slim build and a beard, according to court documents.
Another surveillance camera from a business behind the convenience store showed Heil, wearing the same mask and Pennywise logo hat, as he entered the south parking lot of the store in a blue Ford Explorer just before the time of the robbery. Heil was wearing shorts to reveal the clown tattoo on his left leg.
The video also showed Heil, several minutes later, running back to the Explorer and he was carrying a 12-pack of beer, the same brand that’s captured on store surveillance.
Investigators found the Explorer was registered to a woman who had photos of Heil on her social media account. Some of the photos of him showed the clown tattoo and others on his legs. Officers also obtained a search warrant of his home, where police found more items he used in the robbery, police said following his arrest last month.
When Heil talked with police about the robbery, he said, “I made a huge mistake,” according to the criminal complaint.
Heil was charged with first-degree robbery and has been released on a $25,000 surety bond pending his trial set for Nov. 12 in Linn County District Court. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years prison.
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Jamey Lee Heil, 26, was wearing a white mask, black-and-white hat with a “Pennywise” logo — a character from a Stephen King horror novel — and dark hooded sweatshirt, the warrant affidavit stated. The clerk at Kum & Go, 1203 Blairs Ferry Rd. in Marion, didn’t see his face, but said the robber told her to “pop the register” and then pulled up his sweatshirt to display a black pistol in his waistband.
Surveillance video showed the suspect, later identified as Heil, pulling out a black pistol, using his left hand and holding the gun close to his body as he demanded money. He had a visible tattoo on his right hand and both legs and appeared to be between 5-foot-5 to 5-foot-8 with a slim build and a beard, according to court documents.
Another surveillance camera from a business behind the convenience store showed Heil, wearing the same mask and Pennywise logo hat, as he entered the south parking lot of the store in a blue Ford Explorer just before the time of the robbery. Heil was wearing shorts to reveal the clown tattoo on his left leg.
The video also showed Heil, several minutes later, running back to the Explorer and he was carrying a 12-pack of beer, the same brand that’s captured on store surveillance.
Investigators found the Explorer was registered to a woman who had photos of Heil on her social media account. Some of the photos of him showed the clown tattoo and others on his legs. Officers also obtained a search warrant of his home, where police found more items he used in the robbery, police said following his arrest last month.
When Heil talked with police about the robbery, he said, “I made a huge mistake,” according to the criminal complaint.
Heil was charged with first-degree robbery and has been released on a $25,000 surety bond pending his trial set for Nov. 12 in Linn County District Court. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years prison.
Clown tattoo helped police identify Marion convenience store armed robber
Surveillance videos revealed more information of a masked armed robbery suspect, including a sinister clown tattoo on his leg, which helped police identify him last month. He is accused of robbing Kum & Go on Blairs Ferry Road in May.
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