BEDFORD – A Bloomington man was arrested on Friday, May 5, after he attempted to rob the Family Dollar store at 704 16th Street.
When Bedford Police officers arrived at 7:50 p.m. the store employees told police the male was wearing a tan jacket, shorts, and dirty tennis shoes. The man was armed with a gun and fled the store.
The two women who were working told police they noticed the man wandering around the store and asked if he needed help. He then requested to speak to the manager. When the manager approached the man and he led her down the aisles and then to the cash registers. She opened the drawers and gave the man all the money from both registers. The man then removed a gun from a camo holster and said “Don’t call the police. If I see a cop, I will come back in here and kill you.”
The man took a total of $404 from the two registers.
Police were able to review the security footage of the robbery. In the meantime, officers were searching for the suspect.
At this time, Major Jesse Crane conducted a traffic stop at the intersection of 5th and R streets after the officer noticed the vehicle frantically leaving the area of the Family Dollar store. The person driving the vehicle was 62-year-old George Hunt, of Bloomington, who fit the description of the robbery suspect.
Hunt was detained for questioning and his vehicle a 2001 BMW 525 was towed by Mikels Towing And Recovery LLC.
Hunt told police he was coming from a residence on Tunnelton Road and had not been in the Family Dollar store. The officer then showed Hunt a security photo at the register. Hunt then replied, “You got me, man”.
Hunt said he did ask the clerk for money but he never threatened them or showed a gun. Hunt said he told her “Look give me the money and everyone goes home happy”. He said he committed the robbery because the IRS had seized all his assets and he committed the robbery out of desperation.
Police recovered all the stolen money.
