Granny#039;s robbed; armed suspect still at large

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, November 26, 2002

A gunman walked into Granny's Monday afternoon and walked away with an undetermined amount of money.

Employees at the store, who declined to give their name, said the man walked into the South Fifth Street store shortly before 5 p.m. There were three employees and several other customers in the store at the time of the robbery.

"He walked around the store, and then walked up to the cash register," one employee said. "I asked him if he needed any help, and he pulled a gun and said 'give me all your money.' I wasn't going to at first because I didn't think the gun was real. It was silver and cheap and looked like a BB gun."

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After getting the money, the man fled on foot up Vine Street toward Sixth Street, at which time he stopped, looked around, and took off his ball cap and waved it in the air. After being spotted by people in the store, the man put his hat back on and ran into the alley.

The gunman is described as approximately 5'6", wearing a camouflage hat and dark blue sweatshirt and pants. He appeared to be in his late teens or early 20's and may have had light colored hair, witnesses say.

No one was injured in the incident. Police say they do not have a suspect, although one man was stopped on Hog Run Road shortly after the robbery when authorities questioned if he was involved in the incident. Dewey Nance, whose age and address were not available, was later arrested on unrelated charges.

Coal Grove patrolman Bob Bowles said he had been advised of the robbery when a car drove past him at a particularly high rate of speed. Wondering if the car was involved in the robbery, Bowles said he gave chase.

"I hit my lights, he punched it down and ran a stop sign," Bowles said. "He got out here on Hog Run and tried to run up a hill. I caught him midway."

Nance was charged with fleeing and eluding a police officer, no operator's license and having illegal license plates on his car.

Police are still investigating the robbery.