Carter County Undersheriff Milton Anthony said deputies believe the lone bandit who robbed an interstate convenience store early Tuesday is the same person who pulled a similar heist at an Ardmore store a week ago.
Anthony said the Sunmart, located at Exit 42 on Interstate 35, was the target of a robbery about 12:20 a.m. The robber used a gray T-shirt, with eye holes cut into it, as a mask to disguise his face when he entered the store. The robber concealed his right hand under the T-shirt he was wearing, indicating he was armed, but never actually showed a weapon during the holdup.
“He told the clerk to go behind the counter and then followed her behind the counter, where he ordered her to open the register and put the bills on the counter. When the register was opened, he reached around with his left hand and cleaned it out. He then told the clerk to lie on the floor and not look up,” Anthony said.
The robber fled the store, running around the side of the building, where he is believed to have stashed a getaway car.
Anthony said the car was described as white and possibly a Honda Civic. The car was last seen headed west on the underpass beneath I-35.
The robber is described as Caucasian, about 6 feet tall with a slender build. He was wearing a red T-shirt, shorts and tennis shoes.
“We suspect this is the same person who robbed an Ardmore convenience store last week,” Anthony said.
About 1:15 a.m. on Aug. 17 a robber entered the Valero Convenience Store, located in the 1600 block of North Commerce Street., wearing an apparent self-made ski mask from a knit-type material. Although he did not brandish a weapon, he did indicate he was armed, and kept one hand inside his shirt. He escaped from the store with cash stolen from the register.
Anthony said along with the similarities of the robberies, victims in both cases provided investigators with similar physical and vehicle descriptions.
Anyone with information concerning the identity of the masked man or his whereabouts is urged to contact the Carter County Sheriff’s Department at (580) 223-6014, Ardmore Police Department at (580) 223-1212 or any local law enforcement agency.
