Sheriff James A. McVicker announced the arrest of two county residents for the Armed Robbery of the Butters Quick Shop in the Butters community southwest of Bladenboro on Saturday evening.
McVicker said 911 dispatchers received a call at 7:41 p.m. on Saturday July 11th from the female clerk on duty who reported she had just been robbed by a male armed with a handgun. The clerk was able to give a detailed description of the robber and the car he was seen leaving the scene of the crime in.
Deputies arrived at the store within three minutes of the call and one of the deputies had earlier run a license tag on a vehicle fitting the description given by the clerk. At the time the deputy ran the license he had seen the vehicle loitering in the area.
A description of the vehicle, tag number, and the gunman was given out to area law enforcement. Less than an hour after the reported robbery, an investigator with the Bladen County Sheriff’s Office, who was working on the case, spotted the suspect vehicle at the Handee Hugo’s convenience store in Bladenboro at the gas pumps. The investigator called for assistance and took the occupants of the vehicle into custody in the parking lot. There were four occupants in the vehicle at the time of the take down and the investigation revealed only two of the occupants had been involved in the earlier robbery.
McVicker said cash from the robbery and a stolen handgun were recovered from the vehicle. Two men were arrested and charged with the robbery.
Arrested was Robert Anthony Davis, age 22 of 380 Bryant Swamp Road, Bladenboro. Davis was charged with Robbery With a Dangerous Weapon and placed in Bladen County Jail under a $100,000 secured bond.
Also arrested was Gerrod Basil Ellison, age 24 of 18302 NC Hwy 87 East, Riegelwood. Ellison was charged with Robbery With a Dangerous Weapon and Possession of a Stolen Firearm. Ellison also received a $100,000 secured bond. Ellison made bond and had a first appearance in District court Monday. Davis also had a first appearance Monday but remains in custody.
Sheriff McVicker praised the clerk at the store and his deputies and gave them credit for the quick arrest. “The clerk at the store kept her composure and was able to give us a good description of the robber and his vehicle. This information combined with the earlier observation by a deputy on duty were instrumental in bringing this case to a quick conclusion,” said McVicker. “Even though the robbers had gone to a residence and changed clothes we were still able to identify them by their physical descriptions and the other identifying features on their car. I am very proud of how my deputies handled this case. This is a very fine example of good police work. I also need to give a lot of credit to the clerk whose information was very valuable in giving us such a good lead.”
McVicker said the two men arrested were also suspects in other armed robberies that have occurred in recent weeks in the county. “We are continuing our investigation and hope to be able to link them to these other robberies as well,” he said.
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