By Tia Lyons
Staff Writer
A suspect reportedly apologized as an employee cried during an armed robbery Nov. 8 at a local business.
At 12:25 a.m., police were called to the Stay Glassy smoke shop, 1505 Champagnolle Road, in reference to an aggravated robbery.
An employee told officers that a male wearing black safety glasses and a red bandana over his face entered the store and “looked around” before approaching the counter.
The complainant said the suspect then removed a blue toboggan from his waistband, noting that the toboggan appeared to be concealing a handgun.
The suspect demanded money, and the complainant, who said she was in a state of disbelief, asked the suspect to repeat himself.
When he again demanded money, the complainant said she began crying and the suspect apologized as she emptied the cash register. She said the suspect told her not to cry and that “he was only doing this because he is homeless.” After the employee handed the suspect all the cash that was in the register, the suspect asked for $100 bills, according to a police report.
The complainant said that when she showed the suspect the empty register he turned to leave the store but stopped and stared at her.
Fearing that he was going to shoot her, the complainant said she began pleading for her life and the suspect left.
She told police that the suspect had arrived at the business on foot, saying that he appeared to have come from a residence in the area just west of the store. The suspect reportedly fled on foot, heading in the same direction from which he entered the business.
Police said the owner of the residence consented to a search, but they did not find the suspect inside the residence.
The suspect was described as a black male, between 5 feet 9 inches and 6 feet tall and wearing a gray shirt, gray sweatpants and a ball cap.
The Stay Glassy employee said she was not immediately suspicious of the bandanna and safety glasses, citing cold, rainy weather at the time.
Tia Lyons may be contacted at 870-862-6611 or by email at tlyons@ eldoradonews.com.