Owners of Handy Mart offering reward
By Ethan Smith
Published in News on July 13, 2016 1:46 PM
The company that owns the Handy Mart on U.S. 13 North that was robbed at gunpoint late Monday night is offering a $5,000 reward for any tips that lead to the arrest of the three unknown suspects who committed the armed robbery.
Thirty-nine-year-old Handy Mart store clerk Jamie Lee was shot three times during the armed robbery after the unknown suspects forced him inside the store after he closed it for the day.
The clerk was shot as he reportedly tried to escape, according to the Wayne County Sheriff's Office.
Lee is listed in fair condition at Vidant Medical Center in Greenville.
Judson Pope, of E.J. Pope and Son Inc., declined to comment on Lee's condition when he was reached by phone Tuesday afternoon.
Pope said the company felt compelled to offer its own reward in addition to the maximum $1,000 reward offered by Wayne County Crime Stoppers to get the three unknown suspects who committed the robbery off the streets.
"We're trying to make sure the fellas get caught, and we just want them off the street," Pope said. "We are a retail business with locations that are open at night, and we're trying to support our employees."
This robbery marks the second armed robbery in three months to occur at the store.
Because of this, Pope said the store is planning to take several additional security steps to protect its employees in the future, including taking down the fence located near the store so nobody will be able to hide behind it and conceal themselves from view.
"We do have some good video from the incident," Pope said. "If anybody recognizes the three people that did it, we ask that they call Crime Stoppers."
The investigation into the case is ongoing, and the Wayne County Sheriff's Office is asking for the public's assistance in solving the case.
Detectives Anthony Mullis and Lt. Shawn Harris are assigned to the case. Mullis can be reached at 919-731-1394, and Harris can be reached at 919-731-1480.
Anyone with information about this crime, or any other crime in Wayne County is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 919-735-2255 or text at 919-222-4230. Callers will remain anonymous, and if your information leads to a felony arrest you will be given a cash reward for the information. Crime Stoppers gives cash rewards of up to $1,000 for information leading to felony arrests. Crime Stoppers is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, funded solely by private donations. To make a donation, contact the Goldsboro-Wayne Crime Stoppers Director Rick Sutton at 919-734-8177.