BLOOMINGTON — A Crown Point man was arrested Thursday after pointing a gun at a Bloomington Dollar General store employee and fleeing the store with a bag full of money
Police arrested 32-year-old Maurice Thomas on charges of armed robbery and resisting arrest.
Police say the 23-year-old woman cashier wasn’t injured during the robbery.
The robbery happened just before 7 p.m. Thursday at Dollar General, located in the 3600 block of West Third Street, next to Big Lots.
The cashier told police that Thomas approached her at the register wearing a black hoodie, a Chicago Bulls jersey, and three face masks. He was also carrying a Dollar General bag and handed it to her, pulled a gun, and said, “I’ll just have this and also the money.”
He then fled the store.
An officer spotted a man near the IU Credit Union on Gates Drive who matched the robber’s description. The man fled and was apprehended when he tripped and fell. The cashier was able to identify Thomas as the suspect.
Police found Thomas with a BB gun that looked like a real gun. Police also found $651 in cash, the Dollar General bag, a black BB gun, and a Chicago Bulls hat.
Thomas told police he had decided to rob an establishment earlier that day due to suffering financial hardship. That morning, he went to Tractor Supply in Indianapolis, purchased the BB gun, and took a Lyft ride from Indianapolis to Planet Fitness on West 3rd Street in Bloomington. From there, he walked around town looking for an establishment to rob, choosing the Dollar General store.
Thomas is being held in the Monroe County Jail on a $15,500 bond and is scheduled to appear in Monroe Circuit Court 3 today at 1:00 p.m. for his initial hearing.
