MEMPHIS, TN (abc24.com) - Shelby county investigators are still looking for a "helpful" robber involved in an East Memphis gas station hold-up.
Shelby county sheriff spokesperson Chip Washington told abc24.com the two men were determined to get items from the store, one way or another. Washington said one of the men went into the store earlier in the evening and his credit card was denied. A little while later, Washington told abc24.com, the men went from customers, to robbers, to clerks.
"In the world of slightly bizarre this ranks," said Washington.
Washington said it's not bizarre for a convenience store to get robbed, but what is bizarre is that the robber turned into a clerk. According to SCSO, one man went to the back room and held the clerk at gunpoint. The other grabbed the cash from the register but had an unexpected visitor.
"During the course, of the robbery behind the counter, a customer walked in," said Washington. "He wanted to buy some cigarettes, so being a good customer service robber, he rang up the customer."
The customer was in and out of the store unaware that he just bought cigarettes from the man robbing the place.
"He has customer service experience and he was cool and calm enough to ring him up," Washington told abc24.com. "He didn't alert anyone to what he was doing, then he went about his business of committing the crime afterward."
No one was hurt during the robbery. The two men left with several packs of cigarettes and cash. Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 901-528-CASH.
