August 28, 2002
Sylvester-
Sylvester police responded to a 9 a.m. robbery at the Discount Auto Parts on Highway 82.
"2 black fellows walked into the store, one of them distracted the clerk, while the other one helped himself to last night's deposit," Mike Gonzales, the store manager said.
The first break in the case, a customer who saw everything, told the clerk, and saw their getaway vehicle, a White Pontiac Paresian. That vehicle finding it's way back to the Discount Auto Parts store where police were already investigating about an hour after the robbery...but mostly through luck alone.
"Oddly enough, the two men were pulled over by state patrol for a seat belt violation here on Highway 82 at 10 o'clock, right in front of the scene of the crime."
After questioning the men though, police decide only the driver is a suspect for possibly driving the two men who robbed the store, but thanks to the routine work of the State Patrol they have a lot more to go on.
And for those at the auto parts store, relief, "Money is replaceable, team members aren't," Gonzales said, and innocence lost, "We work in autoparts business never think it's going to happen to us, but it really does, you've got to be prepared."
From now they'll make sure both the office door and safe are locked.
With the assistance of the driver, police have identified two suspects, but they aren't naming them yet. When arrested, they will be charged with theft by taking.
posted at 4:50 p.m by dave.d'marko@walb.com
All content © Copyright 2000 - 2013 Worldnow and WALB, a Raycom Media Station. 
