Three men broke into an Oakville home Christmas Eve morning, sprayed the occupants with pepper spray, beat the man with a baton and tied the couple up, police said.

They then took the man’s wallet and the woman’s purse, which contained $14,000 in cash from the couple’s businesses. Two other men mostly waited outside during the incident, according to St. Louis County Police.

Ronald M. Hargis, 38, of the 600 block of Granda Drive in Mehlville, was charged Tuesday with first-degree robbery and first-degree burglary in connection with the incident.

According to court documents, Hargis told police he drove four men to the residence at about 7:28 a.m. Dec. 24. One man told him to go back outside and continue waiting. When the men came outside with the stolen purse and wallet, they gave him $1,000 from the stolen money, police said.

According to the report, investigators found Hargis’ fingerprint on an inside door.

Hargis was being held in St. Louis County jail Friday. Bail was set at $75,000.

For more crime information on Mehlville-Oakville Patch, see the following articles:

• Oakville Woman Indicted After Breaking Into Home To Retrieve Child
• Pair Charged With Stealing $10,800 in Items From South County Home
• South County Woman Indicted on Charge of Murdering Her Grandmother