Another store robbed in county; suspect arrested
By Jack Stephens
Published in News on March 30, 2006 1:46 PM
A knife-wielding teenager robbed the Saulston Community Store at 4673 Wayne Memorial Drive on Wednesday night but was arrested later, and the money was recovered, according to a Wayne County Sheriff's Office report.
Michael King, 17, of Tinderwood Drive was apprehended in a little more than an hour and charged with armed robbery. King, who lived close to the store, was placed in the Wayne County Jail in lieu of a $50,000 secured bond.
The woman clerk told deputies that the suspect entered the store at about 6 p.m., pointed a knife at her, grabbed the cash from the register and fled.
Sheriff's patrol deputies, detectives and Aggressive Criminal Enforcement Team members and Highway Patrol troopers converged on the area. The suspect was chased on foot and captured about a mile away on Amherst Drive.
When King was arrested, deputies seized $122 that had been stolen from the store.
Northern Wayne County has been the scene of several armed robberies in the past few weeks. Sheriff Carey Winders warned residents and store owners to remain on guard.
"This doesn't mean that citizens can relax. Remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity," Winders said.
Capt. George Raecher said today that an investigation into the robbery was continuing to determine if it were linked to the other recent holdups. The Fremont liquor store was robbed Saturday and Tuesday. Three men tried to rob a convenience store in Eureka on March 20 but fled without getting any money after struggling with two customers. Three men robbed the Stoney Creek Food Mart at N.C. 111 and Stoney Creek Church Road and got away with about $3,000 on March 23.
A convenience store in Black Creek and a fast-food restaurant in Wilson also have been robbed.
The Wayne and Wilson County sheriff's offices and Fremont and Stantonsburg police departments continue to investigate the robberies.
Anyone with information on any of these robberies was asked to call the Sheriff's Office at 731-1481 or Goldsboro-Wayne Crime Stoppers at 735-2255. Callers may remain anonymous, and they may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000. Winders said the Sheriff's Office is offering an additional $1,500 reward for information leading to the arrest of the suspects.