Police seek robber in brazen Wharton heist
BENJAMIN C. SHARP bensharp@journal-spectator.com

Police are looking for a man who robbed a Wharton store at gunpoint and then disappeared into the night.

The man pointed a pistol at the head of a Dollar General store clerk Thursday night and demanded cash, said Detective Joey Galloway of the Wharton Police Department.

Galloway said the man "racked the slide" of the semi-automatic pistol - chambering a round - before aiming it at the clerk.

"He said, 'Just give me the money,'" the detective said.

Two store clerks, both women, were the only ones inside the Milam Street store at the time. Neither were injured.

"They're pretty shook up. That's a pretty bad ordeal to go through," Galloway said.

Police said the robber forced both employees into the manager's office and closed the door behind them. He then took an undisclosed amount of cash from the register.

The robbery occurred just after 8 p.m. Thursday as the store was being shut for the night. The clerks had locked the front door and turned off the lights when the man suddenly appeared.

Police believe the robber hid in the store, then emerged after closing time. He likely fled the scene in a vehicle. Clerks told police they heard a vehicle speed away from outside as they huddled inside the office.

The man wore a blue bandanna over his face and was wearing a ski cap. He was also wearing a black windbreaker and blue jean shorts.

He's described as a black male, about 5-feet, 9-inches tall and weighing around 225 pounds. Anyone with information is asked to contact Galloway at the Wharton Police Department at 532-3131.

"We are still checking for additional evidence," he said.