"It’s pretty shocking because we are right in the middle of downtown."
A gas station cashier, held-up at gun-point, and a robber demanding her to kneel as he made his escape…
The sheriff says the robber held the gun to the head of the clerk, demanding money.
It’s a story we brought you first on Michigan This Morning.
The armed robbery happened around 3:30 a.m. Monday, Jan. 16 in Clare County at the Sunrise Convenience Store at the intersection of First and Main Streets in Harrison.
9&10’s Cody Boyer and photojournalist Derrick larr met with the sheriff and spoke with the gas station’s manager about the robbery and the unsuccessful getaway.
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"You just never know, you know?” says Eva Dora, store manager. “Your life is on the line, no matter where you work."
A 19-year-old man with a gun and an 18-year-old woman riding shotgun, both from Saginaw…
The sheriff says they showed up at this gas station with a plan.
“The victim had felt something on the back of her head, turned around and seen the gun at that time,” Sheriff John Wilson says. "Yeah, it’s a little scary.”
He says the man told her to kneel, then ran.
The clerk called 9-1-1.
The sheriff says the clerk did not see the suspect vehicle leave their parking but thankfully, deputies were only a short distance away.
When they left the street at around 3 a.m., deputies were right down the street.
“I just had some officers who were getting off but they were still here,” Sheriff Wilson says. "As they were going out of the building, they observed the suspect vehicle coming around the corner not too far from here."
A deputy chased them about seven miles to an icy side road.
“The vehicle then basically lost control on one of our back roads out west of Harrison and we took them into custody,” Sheriff Wilson says. “My officers approached the vehicle and they get the people into custody, but with what they had in the car and we knew they had a weapon, I’m just thankful that they all come away in a safe manner."
Inside, he says they found an AK-47-style assault rifle, illegally modified.
“It was truly made to do what they had it for,” Sheriff Wilson says. “They had modified the barrel to make it shorter. They had put on tactical rails so they had flip-up sights on it. There was no stock on it at all. It’s just a pistol grip.”
“It was shocking that they hit here,” Dora says.
The store’s manager, Eva, says it’s a crime they never expected.
“Here, pretty shocking because we are right in the middle of downtown and deputies are always here,” Dora says.
The two could face charges as soon as tomorrow.
“It’s up to the prosecutor in what she actually charges them with, but you have armed robbery, felony firearm,” Sheriff Wilson says. “If he is a felon, he can be charged with possession of firearm. She could be charged with accessory. Possession of a short-barreled rifle…multiple charges that they could look at charging them with.”
Tonight, though, Eva says it all could’ve ended worse.
“My mid-nighter’s safe and the kids were caught,” Dora says. “That’s our guys. You call them and they are here. Sheriff Wilson has done a wonderful job."
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