70-Year-Old linked to series of armed robberies in Gulfport

A 70-year-old man is behind bars, being held on a $100,000 bond and charged in connection with a recent armed robbery at a tobacco store in Gulfport. As News 25’s Gina Tomlinson shows us, this is the fourth armed robbery the suspect has been charged with.
It’s business as usual now at this tobacco store on Pass Road in Gulfport, but it was a much different scene Tuesday night as a man armed with a knife robbed the store. Authorities say 70-year-old Leon Ratliff Jr. is behind the crime, a crime that hits too close to home for others who also live and work in this area. Owner of Strickland Motors, Inc. Terry Strickland said, “Somebody could get hurt, shot, stabbed, anything.”
Also a concern for Gulfport resident Joann Neely who drops by this store every week. “We go early in the morning, late at night, just before they close. For this to happen, we need more neighborhood watch besides just ourselves.”
Soon after the robbery, police arrested and charged Ratliff with the crime. Turns out, the 70-year-old suspect was already out on bond when this store was robbed and police tell News 25 he is connected to four other robberies, all in Gulfport. “Just because he’s old doesn’t mean he can’t do nothing,” said Neely. “They take him for being slow just because he’s old.”
The latest crime scene is just across the street from a Dollar General authorities say Ratliff also robbed, armed with a hand gun. “Seems like all the robberies that happen around here are at night,” said Strickland.
Also on Ratliff’s record are armed robberies at a Chevron and two Shell gas stations, crimes dating back to 2015.
Authorities say Ratliff took the money and ran and was later arrested in the area on 6th Avenue about 20 minutes later after Gulfport police were notified. Sgt. Joshua Bromen said, “We were able to quickly wrap this incident up which is good. It shows that the community and everyone working together because without this information and these good descriptions it makes all these cases very difficult.”
For the time being, residents are glad a suspected repeat criminal is behind bars, at least for now.