ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Saturday, December 21, 1996            TAG: 9612230075
SECTION: VIRGINIA                 PAGE: B-5  EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: MATT CHITTUM

CLERK SPRAYED WITH CHEMICAL IN ROBBERY OF BOTETOURT STORE

A Botetourt County food store was robbed Thursday evening by a man who sprayed a chemical into the clerk's eyes. It was the second robbery of its type in three days.

The man entered the Greenway Market on U.S. 11 just before 9 p.m. and chose a drink to buy, Detective John Mandeville of the Botetourt County Sheriff's Office said. When he approached the counter, he sprayed the clerk, a woman, with what is believed to be mace or pepper spray.

With the clerk blinded, the man cleaned out the cash register and fled the store, Mandeville said. It was unclear whether the man was in a car or on foot, according to Mandeville, but the clerk did not notice a car.

Deputies searched the area around the store with dogs, but had not made an arrest Friday afternoon.

Mandeville said the robbery is similar to one reported Monday in Roanoke County. A man sprayed the clerk of the Clipper Food Mart on Williamson Road, grabbed money from the cash register and ran.

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