A man used a makeshift flamethrower while trying to rob a Lenoir convenience store, a WBTV representative said.
Regular customers at Ross and the company’s convenience store outside were shocked to hear what had happened.
Lenoir police said Logan Ryan Jones, 30, walked into the Ross and Company convenience store on Harper Avenue shortly after 12.30pm on Wednesday.He walked to the back, grabbed a can of de-icer from the store shelf, and walked to the checkout.
“He handed the clerk a note saying please give me the money or give me the money or I’ll burn down the store,” owner Jonathan Brooks said.
When the clerk relented, the suspect began to follow through on his threats.The manager said he had a lighter and lit the de-icer, destroying several pieces of equipment.
Just got a video of the actual robbery from the store.The suspect stole the de-icer and built a makeshift flamethrower for Lenoir’s employees.pic.twitter.com/AQKtcHy1Ak
“He burned the printer; he burned the receipt printer, he burned some cables at the cash register, but the girls weren’t hurt, which is important,” Brooks said.
The suspect fired several shots from the can, apparently burning his hands, and hurried out the front door, which workers quickly locked behind him.Ashley Bankson was behind the counter when all this happened.
Jones has not been a free man for a long time.Police quickly rounded him up and charged him with felony attempted robbery and burning of buildings.
RELATED: Police: Man sets fire near cashier at Lenoir convenience store after cashier refuses to be robbed
His security deposit is set at $250,000.In court, where he first appeared before a judge via a video screen, he appeared to hesitate over what he was facing, saying, “These are serious allegations.”
The store was closed for a few days to give employees time to process and heal an experience no one had ever seen.
Post time: Mar-22-2022