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Suspect accused of using a BB gun in an attempted robbery
By Sarah Lehr
STRUTHERS
A man was arraigned Friday in Campbell Municipal Court, accused of using a BB gun in an attempted robbery of a Family Dollar store Thursday evening.
Kevin Michaels, 26, of Campbell faces charges of aggravated robbery, a felony, and possession of drug-abuse instruments, a misdemeanor.
A Family Dollar employee called police about 10 p.m. Thursday to report a man had tried to rob the store with what she believed was a handgun. Police arrived and spoke with the two employees who were working at the time of the incident. The employees told police a man, who had a white cloth with eye holes cut out covering his face, entered the store, brandished what appeared to be a handgun and demanded that an employee open a cash drawer.
The employee told police that when she had difficulty opening the drawer, the man grabbed her and put the weapon to her head. Employees said that after being denied money, the suspect ran out of the store toward nearby woods.
According to a police report, officers searched the store’s perimeter and found a mud and rain-soaked boot. Officers also found Michaels “crouched behind a car” parked on Blackburn Street. Michaels matched the description of the suspect and was wearing a boot on one foot and a sandal on the other. Police reported Michaels was soaked with rain and covered with briars from a wooded area.
Officers arrested Michaels and found a hypodermic needle in his pants pocket.
According to the report, after booking Michaels into the city jail, officers obtained consent to search the Douglas Drive home of Michaels’ acquaintance. There, officers reported finding a black BB gun that they said matched the description of the weapon along with pants and a muddy, soaked sweatshirt.
A judge set Michaels’ bond Friday at $50,000. Michaels will appear in court next Friday for a pretrial hearing.