An Atmore man was arrested and charged with the predawn Wednesday (Oct. 25) armed robberies of two local convenience stores after he crashed the stolen truck that was allegedly used in the commission of one of the crimes.
Atmore Police Chief Chuck Brooks reported Thursday morning that James Ronald Marshall Jr., age not provided, was arrested early Wednesday morning and charged with three counts each of first-degree robbery and first-degree theft of property.
Marshall is charged in connection with the vehicle theft, as well as robberies that were reported at the Circle K on West Nashville Avenue and the Shell Station on East Nashville Avenue. Marshall, who wore a Halloween mask during both robberies, had earlier entered the Circle K on North Main Street, but did not rob that store.
The first curb-store stick-up occurred around 2:35 a.m., just 20 minutes after the North Main incident, and the second was reported less than two hours later. The subject of the incidents on North Main and West Nashville had reportedly fled on foot, but a clerk at the second robbed store told police the bandit got into a silver pickup and drove off in an unknown direction.
While APD officers were questioning witnesses and securing the scene at the Shell Station, police dispatchers received a phone call from a person who reported that a man driving a silver truck had crashed on Sardis Church Road. The caller also noted that the driver was wearing clothing that matched the description provided by clerks at the three stores.
Officers responded to the crash scene and discovered that the wrecked vehicle had been earlier reported stolen from a residence on Beacon Lane. Marshall was the only occupant in the truck, and police found cash, firearms and some electronics items in the vehicle or scattered about the scene of the crash.