Officers with the DeFuniak Springs Police responded to an armed robbery that occurred on Friday night at the Petro Food Mart located on U.S. Highway 90 East. Officers and Deputies with the Walton County Sheriff's Office were dispatched at approximately 9:50 PM on January 3rd, 2014 to a robbery by a suspect armed with a handgun.
Officers arrived and found that the store had multiple items strewn throughout, including the cash register. The store clerk reported that a white male, wearing a camouflage jacket and black pants, entered the store brandishing a black handgun and demanded money. The suspect reportedly had a black ski mask like covering to disguise his face.
The store clerk complied, but the suspect became impatient and began retrieving the money from the cash register. The clerk attempted to get the robber to leave by throwing several items that struck the suspect. The agitated robber aimed his revolver at the clerk and fired multiple times, before fleeing the store. The clerk then chased the suspect from the store, where the robber got into the passenger's side of a late 90's maroon Ford Taurus type vehicle. The getaway vehicle was reportedly driven by a white female, which drove east on Highway 90 from the Petro Food Mart.
Fortunately, the store clerk was not injured during the robbery, despite being shot at.
The investigation is continuing and the incident is believed to be related to another robbery that occurred in Washington County. Anyone having information related to this incident are asked to contact Detective Dees at 850-892-8513 or callers may remain anonymous using the TIPS line at 850-910-TIPS (8477).