Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Suspect Is Arrested In Robbery Of Baker's

Baker's Best Stop was robbed Tuesday, Nov. 16, but the perpetrator has already been captured and is in jail.

According to reports, Sue Inlow, the clerk on duty, reported the crime around 10 p.m., telling officers she had been injured as well.

Assistant Prescott Police Chief Jim Stewart responded and found Inlow bleeding profusely from a wound to the back of her head.

She told him a black male had been in the store earlier, left and returned asking for matches. When Inlow got them for him and rang up the transaction on the cash register, the suspect, Ernest Norvell, 33, of Prescott, reportedly struck her in the back of the head with something.

He then allegedly reached over the counter, took all the bills but ones from the register and fled, heading south from the store.

A witness told officers she had seen a black man matching Norvell's description hanging around the phone outside Baker's while going to the car wash. The witness said Norvell was seen going into the store but didn't notice when he left.

Inlow picked Norvell out of a photo lineup Wednesday, Nov. 17, with officers arresting him the same day.

Norvell admitted to taking a couple of packs of cigarettes, but denied robbing the store.

Larry Baker, owner of the business, informed officers a considerable sum of cash had been taken from the register.

Norvell was charged with one count of aggravated robbery and arraigned in court Friday afternoon, Nov. 19.

Aggravated robbery is a class Y felony carrying a penalty of 10 to 40 years or life.