Update: A second robbery on April 7 has occurred in Fayetteville in a span of six hours. The first was at a florist on South Glynn Street at 10 a.m. The second was at the Rite-Aid pharmacy on Ga. Highway 54 West shortly after 4 p.m. Police believe both robberies were the work of the same man.
Officers responded at approximately 4:20 p.m. to the Rite-Aid on Hwy. 54 West after a man approached a cashier with a purchase and subsequently grabbed an undisclosed amount of cash from the register, said department spokesperson Mike Whitlow, The cashier initially fought back until the man told her he had a gun, Whitlow said.
The snatch-and-grab robber then fled the store on foot, with some employees and a customer from the parking lot pursuing him. Those following the man lost him in the wooded area immediately to the west of the pharmacy.
Police officers and tracking dogs with the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office canvassed the woods and residential areas near the store. The scent went cold at a nearby driveway where the man might have had vehicle waiting, Whitlow said.
Earlier in the day, mid-morning robbery at Jan’s Florist on South Glynn Street in Fayetteville resulted in no one being hurt after a man entered the store asking for directions then produced a note saying he had a gun and demanding money. Fayetteville Police canvassed the area and are pursuing evidence left at the scene.
The man was described by the co-owners and Whitlow as being a white male 35-40 years of age, 5’10”-6’0” in height, weighing 150-160 pounds and wearing blue jeans and a sweatshirt, a dark baseball cap and sunglasses which he never removed. That description is nearly identical to the one provided by Rite-Aid employees.
Business co-owner Gail Brown said she was in the office when the floral designer came to her at approximately 10 a.m. saying a man was at the counter needing directions to Newnan. Brown said she went to the front counter and began giving directions when the man handed her a folded piece of paper that said, “I’ve got a gun. No funny stuff. Put the money in a bag. Don’t do anything stupid.”
Brown said the man did not produce a weapon, though he had his hand in the pocket of his sweatshirt.
Brown said she turned and showed the note to co-owner Terrie Brown and reached for the cash register, adding that it was then that the man told her not to push any alarm buttons.
Terrie Brown responded to the situation, asking the man, “What’s up, buddy?”
The man responded, saying he had “a sick kid at home.”
“I gave him the money and he ran out the door and behind the store,” Gail Brown said. “I’m just glad no one was hurt.”
The man fled the store with $120-150 running south on Whitney Drive, Whitlow said.
Whitlow said investigators are pursuing evidence left at the scene.
Whitlow added that officers had canvassed the area, discovering that a man wearing sunglasses and acting suspiciously had entered a nearby nail salon approximately 30 minutes prior to the robbery at Jan’s Florist.
Heaton said there is a significant likelihood that the same man is responsible for both robberies.
Anyone with information pertaining to the robbery is asked to contact Det. Mike Whitlow at 770-461-4441.
