Kershaw man, 24, charged in convenience store robbery
A 24-year-old Kershaw man has been arrested in connection with an armed robbery of a Kershaw convenience store on U.S. 601, according to the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office.
Eric Dwight Napper has been arrested and charged with armed robbery and possession of a firearm during a violent crime, a release states.
At about 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, deputies responded after a masked gunman entered the Flat Creek Quick Stop at 3562 Gold Mine Highway and demanded money, with two employees inside the business, according to the sheriff’s office. The robber took cash from the register and left.
One of the employees followed. The robber pointed a gun at the employee and threatened to shoot, before running toward Gold Mine Highway, the sheriff’s office said.
No shots were fired and no one was injured.
A K-9 unit tracked the robber a short distance before losing the scent. The robbery was video recorded.
Investigators connected Napper to the crime after releasing photos of the suspect from the store’s surveillance video, the release states.
“I cannot overemphasize the value of the assistance we receive from the public in cases like this,” said Sheriff Barry Faile. “We put out surveillance photos the day after the robbery, and by the next day Napper was developed as a suspect based on information from multiple sources. We really appreciate this kind of citizen help.”
Investigators got a search warrant and searched Napper’s home Friday, the release says. They found the shirt and boots they believe Napper wore the night of the robbery, the release states.
Napper walked into the convenience store while deputies investigated the site Friday, and agreed to go with the deputy to the sheriff’s office for an interview, the release says.
Napper’s bond was denied during a bond hearing late Saturday, the release states. Napper remains in jail at the Lancaster County Detention Center.
This story was originally published February 6, 2017 at 5:50 PM with the headline "Kershaw man, 24, charged in convenience store robbery."