Eatery robbed after men force way inside
Police are searching for two men suspected in the armed robbery of a North Augusta restaurant early Sunday morning.
According to a North Augusta Public Safety report, an employee of the Ruby Tuesday at 1183 Knox Ave. closed the business about 1:50 a.m. and got in her vehicle when a man forced her out of the vehicle at gunpoint. She said the man covered her face with a mask or cloth and forced her to open the building. A second man then appeared, and they forced her to open the restaurant's safe and fled with an unknown amount of cash.
The first man is black and was dressed in a black or blue hooded sweatshirt. There was no description of the second man.
2nd suspect arrested in beating, robbery
A second suspect in the alleged beating and robbery of a co-worker was arrested Sunday.
According to a Richmond County jail committal, Alvin Neil Sanders, 42, was arrested at the Augusta Super Inn, 1602 Gordon Highway. Mr. Sanders was charged with armed robbery.
Mr. Sanders is accused in the robbery and beating of Richard Bunch on Saturday, according to a Richmond County sheriff's report. The other suspect, Angela Lamar, was arrested and charged with armed robbery Saturday.
According to the report, the two beat Mr. Bunch with a hammer and a pipe and stole cash while he was staying at their home on the 1700 block of Pennsylvania Avenue. The three work at the Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center.
Woman says man took money at gunpoint
A woman told officers she was robbed at gunpoint while making a deposit for an Augusta Mall business late Friday night.
According to a Richmond County sheriff's report, the woman was making a night deposit for Picture People at Wachovia Bank, 3440 Wrightsboro Road, when an unknown man approached her vehicle and demanded the money at gunpoint. The robber fled with an undetermined amount of money.
The robber was wearing a black pullover jacket, tan pants and white shoes, the report said.
Traffic update
Richmond County
- There will be lane closures on both sides of Bobby Jones Expressway between Scott Nixon Memorial Drive and Wheeler Road from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. today until Friday.
- The ramp from westbound Interstate 20 to eastbound Bobby Jones Expressway will be closed today and Tuesday from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. Detours will be in place via Wheeler Road.
- A portion of Marks Church Road will be closed near Jamaica Road today until Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The closure will not affect the traffic exiting Wheeler Road or from westbound Bobby Jones Expressway.
- The eastbound lane of Wheeler Road will be closed between Bobby Jones Expressway and Agerton Lane Tuesday until Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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All of our local Sheriff's Offices and Public Safety agencies offer escort services, will stop by at closing time, etc. upon request. The criminal element in the CSRA is out of control and although most are being caught after the fact or in the act, it hasn't slowed down the violent crimes. Take a pro-active stance and prepare yourself, involve law enforcement prior to a problem occurring, etc.
Own a gun. Learn to be competent with the gun. Make deposit.
A pipe and a hammer is an excellent way to obtain a loan from a friend staying at your house. Everyone does it. What seems to be the problem, officer?
Both robberies mentioned appear a little "suspect"!
How do they appear suspect?
# 1...Why was the female employee alone at almost two in the morning?..........# 2..Who in their right mind stops late at night to make a deposit?....Commen sense folks...it's free, use it!
#1...Most eating establishments' employees don't finish cleaning until after midnight, and then the manager goes straight to the bank to make the depost. It is dangerous and they should make another employee accompany him/her. This isn't uncommon for robbers to catch the manager at 2400-0200 with their money bag. DUH...even the robbers knew this. #2...It doesn't mention the time of night for the other business, just that it was a night deposit. Same thing here. I don't know how many jobs you've held, but common sense is free and apparently YOU don't have any.
Nothing suspect here. Take a look around at 1:50 a.m. on a Sunday morning and let me know what you see. Quite a few people out and about leaving bars, etc. But, I wouldn't walk around at that time of the morning without a gun ready. Hurlyburly is a little squirrelly.
Any establishment that allows an employee to make a night deposit without having another employee following behind them places their staff in danger. It's standard procedure in many businesses to have one employee take the deposit with another one following in a car behind them. Granted, it's no guarantee that the deposit won't be taken, but it may make a robber think twice when there's more than one person at the window.