Lancaster County Sheriff seeking information in convenience store robbery

The Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office is seeking to identify the suspect in a weekend convenience store robbery in Heath Springs, according to a sheriff’s office statement.

Deputies responded to the Swami Mart on South Main Street at 8:30 a.m. Sunday, the statement says.

A store employee told police a man entered while other customers were there. He patted his pockets “as if he had forgotten his wallet” and went back to his car until the other customers left, the statement says.

The employee told police the man wore a black hoodie and a red, white and blue baseball hat with “USA” on it. He tossed a plastic bag on the counter and told the clerk to “hurry up and put the money into the bag,” the statement says.

The robber didn’t show a gun, but had his right hand wrapped with cloth “as if he had a pistol...,” the statement says.

The employee said she took money out of the register and the suspect grabbed it, ran outside and drove away, the statement says.

The statement doesn’t say how much money was taken.

The car was an older model four-door green sedan with a North Carolina tag, the statement says.

Through investigation, officers learned the suspect had been in the Dollar General in Heath Springs prior to the robbery, and the Pleasant Hill Mini Mart and Small’s Food Center right after the robbery.

“I encourage anyone who saw this man or this car or who has any information about his identity or this robbery Sunday morning to call us,” Lancaster County Sheriff Barry Faile said in the statement. “It appears the Swami Mart was just one of several potential targets of robbery, and the suspect needs to be identified and arrested.”

Anyone with information should call the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office at 803-283-3388 or Midlands Crime Stoppers at 888-274-6372.

This story was originally published November 28, 2017 at 5:13 PM with the headline "Lancaster County Sheriff seeking information in convenience store robbery."