BLYTHEWOOD (Sept. 15, 2016) – A man armed with a handgun held up the IGA grocery store at 135-B Blythewood Road Sunday night, making away with an undisclosed amount of cash.
According to an incident report from the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, the suspect, described as a black male in his late 30s to early 40s, approximately 5-feet-8, 235 pounds, approached the manager and an employee just outside the store at 9:39 p.m. The suspect ordered the two back inside the store where he ordered a cashier to hand over her cell phone. The suspect then ordered the manager and employees at gunpoint into the office behind the customer service desk, where he demanded that the manager open the safe.
The suspect cleaned out the safe, stuffing cash into a bag provided by the manager, and ordered everyone to lay on the floor. The suspect then fled the scene on foot. According to the report, it is suspected that the suspect was picked up nearby by an unknown vehicle.
The Voice asked the Sheriff’s Department for details on the amount of money stolen from the IGA, but were told by Lt. Curtis Wilson, “We don’t release the amount.”
