Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Dollar General Robbed, victims held with duct tape

Two employees of the Dollar General store in Gurdon were bound and held more than half an hour during a robbery on Tuesday, Feb. 26. The two employees were in the process of closing the store and were almost ready to go home.

A man in a homemade ski mask  armed with a knife and a roll of duct tape  apparently waited in the store for the right moment to make his move and rob the store.

Some time before 7:30 p.m., the suspect reportedly made his way into the store and found a place to hide. He turned off the alarm system of the store, and eventually turned off the electricity to the stores office, where one victim was taking care of closing duties.

With the electricity suddenly off, the woman wandered out of the office to explore the matter and turn on the lights  only to find the robber lurking in the storage room. She screamed, alerting her co-worker, according to store officials.

The robber managed to tie up both employees with the duct tape and keep them both under the threat of his knife until he located the cash in the store.

The suspect reportedly stole several hundred dollars, according to Gurdon City Marshal Don Childres. After collecting the money, the suspect fled, leaving the employees helpless with their hands tied.

Childres said it took the women 30-40 minutes before they could free themselves and call police.

Gurdon Police and Clark County Police responded upon receiving the 911 call. Childres said he then called the Clark County Criminal Investigation Department to assist in processing the crime scene.

The suspect was reported as being slender, around 6 feet tall and wearing a toboggan cap pulled over his face with holes cut out at the eyes.

All they could see was his eyes, Kay Little, Dollar General manager, said.

The robbery is still under investigation at press time. Anyone who has information regarding the incident should call the Gurdon Police Department at 353-2211.