By By Fredie Carmichael/The Meridian Star
Seot, 29, 2001
Meridian police arrested one man Friday and are still searching for another after the two allegedly robbed a convenience store around midnight the night before.
Lt. Wade Johnson, spokesman for the Meridian Police Department, said the Amoco Food Shop No. 10 at 4910 Highway 493 was robbed around midnight Thursday. He said two men struck the store clerk with a blunt object and then fled the scene with an undisclosed amount of beer.
Johnson said police arrested Kevin King, 19, four hours later after a disturbance outside a business on Front Street. Investigators charged King with armed robbery at 11 a.m. Friday; a second suspect is still at large.
King also was charged with public drunkenness, giving false information to a police officer, public profanity and possession of alcohol under the age of 21.
King is being held in the Lauderdale County jail on a $50,000 bond.
The Amoco Food Shop robbery was the latest in a growing number of armed robberies that have plagued Meridian in recent months. It also was the third armed robbery in the city this week.
On Tuesday night, a gunman robbed the El Cheapos Discount Beer &Tobacco House convenience store on Fifth Street. And on Wednesday night, three gunmen robbed an Ole Farm Beef House Restaurant employee.
In the Amoco robbery, Johnson said the two suspects were black and wore bandannas around their face. The night before, the three men who robbed the Ole Beef House employee also were black and wore bandannas.
Johnson said the MPD wouldn't speculate if the two robberies were related: "The only thing is, (King) doesn't match the description of the suspects in Wednesday's case."
Fredie Carmichael is a staff writer for The Meridian Star. Call him at 693-1551, ext. 3228, or e-mail him at fcarmichael@themeridianstar.com.