By Brian Smith
Police still are searching for a man who committed a daring midday robbery from a downtown check-advance store Wednesday.
The robbery took place at 11:21 a.m. at Cash Express, 234 E. Main St. in downtown Richmond, said Chief Larry Brock of the Richmond Police Department.
Officers were called to the scene after a man described as a white male, 5 feet, 6 inches tall and wearing a black hooded sweatshirt entered the business through the rear entrance, Brock said.
The man brandished a handgun and demanded money from a clerk, Brock said. The employee gave the man an undisclosed amount of cash, and the man then fled out the back door and was last seen heading south on S. Collins Street.
Police radio dispatches described the man as having paint splatters on his sweatshirt and a bandana covering part of his face. Brock said the man was wearing blue jeans and dirty white tennis shoes.
A police dog was brought out in an attempt to track the man, Brock said, but was unable to locate the suspect.
No one was injured in the robbery, Brock said.
Anyone with information about the robbery is asked to call the Richmond Police Department at 623-1162 or 623-8911.
Car fire
A car that police and fire crews found burning early Tuesday morning on Four Mile Avenue was stolen from a local car dealership.
The car, a 2000 Toyota Celica, was found engulfed in flames around 2:20 a.m. Tuesday in the 900 block of Four Mile Avenue, said Sgt. Willard Reardon, Richmond Police Department spokesman.
An investigation uncovered evidence the fire had been intentionally set, Reardon said. The vehicle later was determined to have been stolen from the parking lot of the nearby Toyota South dealership.
The car was valued at $12,000, Reardon said.
Other crimes
• A purse was reported stolen Tuesday from a vehicle parked at Redi Mart on N. Second Street.
The passenger side window of the car had been broken out, the victim told police, and the purse was stolen while the owner was inside the store.
The purse contained $139 in cash and several forms of identification.
• A break-in was reported Sunday at a home in the 300 block of Steep Street. A kitchen window was forced open to gain entry.
Reported missing were 15 to 20 Sony PlayStation 2 video games and 35 to 40 DVDs.
Brian Smith may be reached at bsmith@richmondregister.com or at 624-6694.
