DEXTER — A former employee of the Town & Country Supermarket at Dexter has been charged with robbing the store at gunpoint.
Rodney B. Bowen, 49, of Dexter was charged with the Class A felony of first-degree robbery by Stoddard County Prosecuting Attorney Russ Oliver.
At 8:48 p.m. Sunday, Dexter Police officers responded to robbery involving a handgun at the Town & Country Supermarket in the 700 block of Specialty Drive.
“The manager, Robert Pipes, initially reported and described the suspect as a black male wearing a face mask, plaid shirt, brown jacket and dark-colored jeans,” police Detective Cory Mills wrote in his probable-cause statement.
Pipes, Mills said, reported the suspect, later identified as Bowen, fled the scene on foot, running east and was armed with a black, semiautomatic handgun.
Pipes, he said, subsequently reported the suspect was running north from First State Bank toward the West City Park.
Three minutes later, Mills said, Officer Joel Dorr was patrolling the area of Oak Street and the West City Park when he saw a man driving a motorized wheelchair in front of the park restrooms.
“As Officer Dorr approached the subject, he exited the wheelchair and ran west through the park,” Mills said. “Officer Dorr was unable to locate the subject; however, during his search, he located U.S. currency that was paper clipped together laying on the grass next to the wheelchair.”
Dorr, Mills said, also saw a pair of muddy boots and a brown jacket laying on the seat of the wheelchair. A black mask also reportedly was found laying underneath a tree on the west side of the restrooms.
Mills said Dorr also found a ball cap and empty beer can laying in the grass near the restrooms.
As the investigation ensued, Mills said, he and Capt. Hank Trout contacted the on-duty clerk, Joyce Lynxwiler. Two other employees also were contacted.
Those employees and Lynxwiler reported Bowen, who was an ex-employee, was a black male who often used a wheelchair to travel back and forth to work, said Mills, who indicated the employees further reported Bowen was able to walk an had no disabilities.
Trout, according to Mills, interviewed Lynxwiler, who reported every night, prior to closing, she pulls her vehicle directly in front of the business entrance from the parking lot, so she doesn’t have to walk across the parking lot with the store’s money.
“Joyce stated when she pulled in front of the business and parked, the suspect tapped on the driver-side window with a handgun, which appeared to have been a blackish-colored semiautomatic,” Mills said.
Lynxwiler, he said, further reported she opened the door and initially had a hard time seeing the suspect, but asked what he wanted.
“Joyce indicated she noticed the suspect was wearing a grayish-colored ski mask, and he stated, ‘I want everything you got,’” Mills said. “Joyce stated she told the suspect everything that she had was in the station, and the suspect followed her inside the business … while still pointing a handgun at her.
“Joyce stated she removed the cash register drawer and placed it on the counter, and the suspect again stated, ‘I want everything you got.’”
Mills said Lynxwiler reported the suspect then removed an undetermined amount of money while still pointing the gun at her.
He allegedly left the store and fled east.
Mills said Lynxwiler provided officers with physical and clothing descriptions.
“(She) indicated the suspect was polite and appeared nervous during the incident,” Mills said.
As Mills was processing the scene, he said, Officer Thomas Forkum found Bowen and a woman at the intersection of North Mulberry at Taylor, which is east of the West City Park.
Both Bowen and the woman reportedly were taken to the police department for questioning.
Mills said he went to the park, where he collected evidence and found a BB pistol behind the soda machine, which sits on the south side of the restrooms.
Mills said the woman reported she lives with her boyfriend, Bowen and his fiance at a residence in the 900 block of North Walnut Street.
The woman, he said, reported she was walking when she saw Bowen, who told her his wheelchair had been stolen from their residence.
“(She) stated Rodney then told her it was a ‘robbery,’” Mills said. “As they approached the park, they began noticing officers, and Rodney stated he had seen his wheelchair in the park and there was a lot of money, his boots and the jacket was on the wheelchair, according to (the woman).”
The woman, Mills said, reported Bowen “wanted to avoid the wheelchair” due to the police presence.
“(She) admitted if there was a lot of money on the wheelchair, he must has done a robbery,” said Mills.
Trout, Mills said, also interviewed the woman’s boyfriend, who confirmed the wheelchair was missing from the residence.
“(He) stated the last time he saw Bowen was 30 minutes prior to police arriving … looking for him,” Mills said. “ … (He) stated Bowen didn’t own a handgun, but did have a CO2 pistol that he kept in a shed behind the residence.”
Mills said he was told the man last saw that pistol about four to five days ago.
The man, Mills said, also reported a recent conversation with Bowen in which Bowen was asked whether he “wanted to make some money and ‘rob a store.’ Bowen stated he would rob the place and hide the money in a hole in the tree at the park.”
Trout, Mills said, searched the shed, but did not find the weapon.
Several empty beer cans, identified as Bowen’s “beer of choice” and matching the one in the city park, were found laying next to the shed, said Mills.
Bowen, Mills said, was interviewed at about 2:20 a.m. Monday and denied any involvement in the robbery.
“Bowen indicated earlier in the evening he noticed an unknown person stole a motorized wheelchair from his residence,” Mills said. “The wheelchair contained his boots and jacket that he had taken off prior to going inside the residence.”
Bowen, Mills said, reported he left on foot to look for his wheelchair and ran into his roommate.
“Bowen indicated he located his wheelchair at the West City Park, but left the area because he heard on the police radios they were investigating a robbery,” Mills said. “Bowen denied ownership of the ski mask and BB pistol.”
Mills said Bowen “voluntarily admitted” during the interview he previously had served 20 years in prison for robbery.
Bowen, who is being held in the Stoddard County Jail on a $175,000 cash bond, is to appear Thursday before Associate Circuit Judge Joe Satterfield for arraignment on the charge.