One arrested in Village Pantry robbery

ANDERSON, Ind. (WISH) - An Alexandria man was arrested Monday morning in connection to a store robbery late Sunday night.

Anderson police arrested David Joe Bott, 40, after he robbed the Village Pantry, 1000 W. Cross St. He is being charged with robbery, a Class C felony, and theft, a Class D felony.

According to a press release, Bott entered the Village Pantry where he demanded money from the store clerk at about 11:30 p.m. During the robbery, Bott told the clerk that he wouldn’t hurt her if she gave him all the money from the cash register.

After getting an undisclosed amount of cash, Bott told the store employee not to move or call anyone. He left the area in a white Chevy Blazer.

The release said an Anderson police officer identified Bott’s vehicle and initiated a traffic stop. Bott then fled on foot into a nearby wooded area.

Anderson police sent a K-9 to search for Bott, who was found and taken into custody shortly thereafter.

The store clerk was able to identify Bott as the robber. The clerk said she also recognized him from a previous encounter at the same store, after he tried to get the clerk to allow him to get gas without paying, the release said.

He was arrested and booked into the Madison County Detention Center where he is being held on bond. 

Anderson Police are also investigating three other robberies with similar characteristics.

On Jan. 22 and 23, the Speedway Convenience Store located on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd was robbed by a person witnesses described as being a white male armed with a handgun.

The third robbery involved the Village Pantry, 111 E. 53 St. on Jan. 27.

In all three robberies, the suspect was described as being a white male, about  5'7" to 5'9' tall, weighing approximately 140 to 160 pounds armed with a handgun.

The release said witnesses told police that the suspect wore a mask and a dark colored hooded sweat shirt during the robberies. Cash appeared to be the main motive.   

"The department continues to examine the evidence for contributing factors that will lead to the arrest of those responsible for the robberies,” said Anderson Police Chief Larry Crenshaw. “In the mean time, the crimes remain under investigation." 

Call Crime Stoppers at 765-649-8310 with any information in connection to the robberies.