Armed robbers enter home of junk dealer, steal $1,000

WASHINGTON — Armed robbers forced their way into a junk dealers home early Sunday and fled with more than $1,000 in cash.

Knox County Sheriff’s Deputy James Moore said the two men entered the William Jackson residence at about 2 a.m. From the description provided by Jackson’s sister, Frances Hawes, authorities believe one of the men was armed with a shotgun. Jackson is 75 years old, his sister, 65. Jackson deals in junk auto parts from his home off Route 206.

“From what we have pieced together so far, two armed males forcibly entered the house and cleaned out a large amount of cash,” Moore reported Sunday.

Although the robbers did not harm Jackson or his sister, “Mrs. Hawes was very upset, and rightly so,” Moore noted. It was her bedroom that the intruders ransacked in their search for cash, Moore added.

Two family members asleep in other parts of the house had no inkling of the home invasion until after the intruders fled the scene, Moore said.

Knox County Chief Deputy John Carroll and state Trooper Dale York responded to the call and are assisting with the investigation. Moore declined to say whether authorities had any leads on the suspects.