Armed robbery at Spear’s Store, suspect still not apprehended

Police CarA Saturday evening armed robbery at Spear’s Store in Charlotte ended without injury, but the perpetrator is still at large. Vermont State Police are currently investigating the incident.

At approximately 6:30 p.m. on February 13, as a teenage salesclerk was working alone at the store, which is located at the corner of Spear Street and Charlotte Hinesburg Road, a man entered the store, showed the employee his weapon, and demanded money. The clerk handed him cash and the suspect fled on foot; the clerk did not see him depart in a vehicle.

Detective Sergeant Michael Filipek with the Vermont State Police (VSP) said that according to the store clerk, the suspect was “totally covered up,” wearing a tan-colored hooded sweatshirt, black or dark-colored sweatpants, and a dark-colored gaiter-style mask over his face. He is believed to be Caucasian and is most likely in his 20s; he has a “slender build” and is approximately 5’9” to 5’10” tall.

Filipek said he didn’t know how much money was taken from the store and said he preferred not to disclose whether or not there were security cameras at the store that recorded the robbery.

After the incident, VSP officers used K-9 units in the area to try and track where the suspect fled after he left the store. Because the suspect’s vehicle wasn’t seen, Filipek said it was possible that it was left nearby; he said that officers were using the dogs to investigate where the perpetrator’s car had been parked.

State police are hoping for community input regarding the robbery, Filipek said, noting that they are looking for “any type of observations or tips that come in, [or] if people hear anything…they thought was insignificant several days ago.” He encourages anyone with any information to reach out to the Vermont State Police Williston Barracks at (802) 878-7111.

For now, he said, VSP will “continue our investigation, which involves forensic analysis of the crime scene.”