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Police: Armed robber in women’s clothing store hold-up arrested

Posted at 10:35 PM, Apr 29, 2012
and last updated 2012-04-30 07:54:39-04

COLONIAL HEIGHTS, Va. (WTVR)-- Colonial Heights Police said Monday they arrested an alleged armed robber, who took over a women's clothing store and forced shoppers into a room before making off with the cash.

No other details on the arrest are known at this time.

The Dress Barn at the strip mall in the 700 block of Southpark Boulevard was hit around 7:30 p.m. on Saturday.

“Well,  it makes me a little bit nervous,” said shopper, Nicole Lacour.

“It`s very shocking to me because I come here all the time,” said shopper, Phyllis Chavis.

Police said a masked robber walked into the busy clothing store, pulled out a gun and robbed the place.

Police said that afterwards, the crook steered everyone to the back of the store and forced them into a room. The gunman then took off with the cash.

Lacour said that the move was bold, because of the number of shoppers, she said, that are walking up and down the strip mall at dusk on the weekends.

“I come here a lot, I actually walk from store to store, I think it`s scary it happened right here,” said shopper, Victoria Barlow.

“It does make me wonder why they would choose Dress Barn than all of the other ones,” said Lacour.

Police said the suspect may be linked to other robberies in the area. And, sources tell CBS 6 many of them are where women frequent.

CBS 6 tried to talk to the store manager, but she declined an interview. We also asked an employee who was there when the robbery took place for an interview, but she politely said “no comment”.

The store has since hired a security guard.