BAY MINETTE, Alabama — Police are still searching for two masked robbers who held up a Dollar General store on Alabama 59 at gunpoint on the city’s south side earlier this week, according to a Bay Minette police sergeant.
A tense scene near closing time
The two suspects, believed to be men, walked into the store around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, close to closing time, according to police. Surveillance footage released by investigators shows both men had concealed their faces before entering. One suspect, who carried a semi-automatic handgun, wore a dark jumpsuit, surgical gloves and a white cloth covering his face. The second suspect wore a more distinctive hooded jacket, described as white, pink and light blue with a skull-and-crossbones pattern throughout.
According to police, the armed suspect remained near the register and demanded cash from an employee, while the second suspect searched the rest of the store and confronted a second employee, attempting unsuccessfully to take property from her before fleeing.
Employee left shaken by the encounter
Investigators said the second employee, who was not at the register, was ordered to lie flat on the floor, and one of the suspects attempted to take her cell phone from her pocket. No customers were in the store at the time, and only the two employees were present during the robbery. The store’s manager later told police that the employee involved in that confrontation was receiving counseling to cope with the traumatic experience.
The suspects left with an undisclosed amount of cash and fled in an unknown direction, according to police. Investigators have not released additional details about a suspect vehicle or further leads in the case.
Police ask for public’s help
Bay Minette police are asking anyone with information about the robbery or the identities of the two suspects to contact the department. The distinctive clothing worn by the second suspect, in particular, has been highlighted by investigators as a detail that could help the public identify him.
The case remains under investigation, and police have not announced any arrests since the surveillance images were released.