Law enforcement in the Golden Triangle are searching for a mask-wearing suspect believed to be involved in two separate robbery incidents.
The Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office reports that the initial crime took place on Sunday around 10:26 p.m. when an unidentified male armed with a shotgun and donning a white mask attempted to steal a vehicle parked outside of Dollar General in Artesia. The suspect allegedly knocked on the window of the car and demanded that the male occupant exit the vehicle and have a store employee unlock the doors of the shop despite it being closed.
Once the victim left his vehicle, the suspect allegedly hopped in and attempted to leave. The car was experiencing mechanical issues, prompting it to shut down while the subject was trying to back out of the parking lot. The suspect got out of the vehicle while it was still rolling backward and ran to another car. The vehicle waiting on the masked subject was dark in color.
The getaway driver then drove north on Highway 45 S Alt. At approximately 2:13 a.m. on Monday, the same white masked subject, still armed with a shotgun, reportedly went into State Line Fuel Center and attempted to rob the store.
During this attempted robbery, the suspect allegedly assaulted a store employee. The worker fought with the masked subject but was hit in the head numerous times with the shotgun by the subject who fled from the scene on foot. The employee was transported to a local hospital to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
Detectives are now asking for the public’s help in identifying the masked subject involved in both incidents. Anyone with information about the occurrences is asked to contact the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office at (662)328-6788 or Golden Triangle Crime Stoppers at 1-800-530-7151.
