Also
* Suspect sought in two armed robberies along McFarland Parkway.
SOUTH FORSYTH — The suspect in an armed robbery that occurred Tuesday night at a southwest Forsyth market remains at large, authorities said.
A man held an employee of La Bodega Supermarket, 138 Tidwell Road, at gun point about 9:45 p.m. on Dec. 2, according to a Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office report.
The suspect was described by the witness and video security footage as a black man wearing a dark-colored hooded sweatshirt, possibly underneath a black puffy jacket or vest.
The hood was pulled onto his head, and he wore a black mask. He wore blue jeans and dark shoes. The report listed him as being 5-foot-7-inches tall and weighing 150 pounds.
The witness claimed the suspect threatened him with a handgun while handing him a plastic bag to put an undisclosed amount of money from the register in before running out of the store.
According to video footage, the suspect apparently waited in the parking lot for customers to leave the store before walking in and “immediately confronted the clerk.” He appeared to be calm throughout the process.
Before leaving the store and heading toward Strickland Road, he reportedly took the clerk’s iPhone, which authorities attempted to pinpoint.
Doug Rainwater, a spokesman for the sheriff’s office, said the signal was lost shortly after leaving Tidwell.
Investigators were comparing this incident to two previous armed robberies in the area, both of which took place at gas stations by the same man, Rainwater said.
Although Tuesday’s robbery occurred at the same day of the week and time as the other two, it “appears to not be the same because of the person’s size.”
Another stark difference that separates Tuesday’s suspect with the man sought in the gas station robberies was his calm demeanor, Rainwater said. In addition, the gas station suspect wore matching track suits with a beanie and no mask.
Two employees working in the kitchen at La Bodega reported they had not seen or heard anything until the clerk ran in after the incident.
A tracking dog was unable to pick up the suspect’s trail, the report said.