Police on St. Thomas were able to nab one suspect in an armed robbery Sunday at Hooters Restaurant.
Witnesses reported that two suspects entered the front of the restaurant while two more entered through a back door. No one was injured, police said.
According to the preliminary police report, employees saw two men dressed in all black enter the restaurant at about 11:15 p.m. Sunday. Both men were brandishing firearms.
The suspects asked the employees where the office was located and were shown to the back of the restaurant, where they opened the emergency door and let in two more suspects. They removed cash from a safe in the office and took money, keys, jewelry and cell phones from employees and patrons before fleeing.
The robbery was still in progress when police arrived on the scene. Officers saw a Suzuki vehicle attempting to leave the Buccaneer Mall’s parking lot, the same area as Hooters. Police pursued the vehicle, which crashed into barricades, police said.
The driver, later identified as Marc Thomas, 23, exited the vehicle and began to run, but police caught him. Police said $500 and three cell phones that were taken during the robbery were found in his possession. Thomas, of Estate Fortuna, was charged with first-degree robbery and his bail was set at $110,000.
St. Thomas Police Chief Darren Foy commended the officers for the quick response that led to the immediate apprehension of one of the suspects. This case will be investigated further by the Criminal Investigation Bureau detectives.
