Suspect Remains at Large
According to staff and management of the Love’s store #1, there was an attempted robbery Saturday evening.
General manager Lisa Dollar said that at 8:39 p.m. Saturday, March 23, a male dressed from head to toe in black clothing entered the store and immediately shoved a pistol at the clerk.
That clerk, Cantrell Easley, was checking out a customer at the time. He said he tried to dissuade the would-be thief, telling him he really didn’t want to commit the crime.
The customer, Delbert Hail, seconded the idea that it wasn’t too late to walk away. At that point, the men both said, the suspect turned the weapon toward Hail.
“I mean, he (Hail) was trying to talk him down and he pointed the gun at him,” Easley said.
Hail didn’t hesitate, but instead shoved the gunman out the door. In the scuffle, the weapon struck Hail in the mouth, making a small cut.
“I wasn’t thinking,” Hail said, when asked what was going through is mind when he tackled the man. “I just reacted.”
The suspect ran off toward the west. Both men said they looked around to no avail, and that the police were there within minutes and searched with a police dog, also with no results.
On Monday the Watonga police were looking at store video tapes and collecting surveillance tapes from other businesses nearby in hopes of identifying the suspect.
Neither the customer nor the clerk noticed any identifying characteristics. Since the suspected robber wore gloves, a hoodie and a covering over his face, they are unsure of his race.
The suspect was of mid height, perhaps around 5’8” or 5’9”.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Watonga Police Department at (580) 6237355.
Watonga Police Chief Beth Massey could say very little about the ongoing investigation.
“We are reviewing the store video and we are asking anyone in the area who has video footage to contact the police department and let us know,” she said.
Easley is a longtime employee of Love’s and was robbed once before, in 2016.
At that time the store was open 24 hours a day and he was robbed during the overnight shift.
Easley had some advice for the would-be robber.
“Everybody needs money. You need money, get a job. Every place is hiring. Fill out the application, go to work and get paid. Then you’ll have money.”