Arrests made in armed robbery

This gun and money were recovered by Sikeston DPS officers after an armed robbery at Murray Lane Mini Mart Sunday (DPS photo)

SIKESTON - Two persons are in custody and a third is being sought by the Sikeston Department of Public Safety for an armed robbery Sunday evening.

About 7 p.m. Sunday, DPS received a panic alarm from the Murray Lane Mini Mart, 626 W. Murray Lane.

When officers responded, an employee, Shawn Stutts, told them he had been robbed at gunpoint. Apparently as Stutts was in the process of closing out the register, a man walked into the business and pulled out a sawed-off shotgun. The man pointed a weapon at the employee and took the cash he was counting.

Stutts told officers he heard two subjects run from the business through the gravel lot as they fled the scene.

Just prior to the robbery, Public Safety Officer Ryan Smith, who was on patrol near the area, noticed a vehicle parked about a block from the Murray Lane Mini Mart with its lights on. Smith said the angle that the vehicle was parked caught his attention.

As he was looking at the vehicle, he saw two subjects run from the vacant lot and get into the back seat of the car. The officer, believing this to be suspicious, took the license plate number and vehicle description.

About 30 seconds later, according to the DPS news release, Smith received the call of the panic alarm.

Following up on Smith's lead, officers went to 107 Adams within 20 minutes of the robbery, according to the news release.

Officers obtained a search warrant for the vehicle and recovered a sawed-off shotgun inside the vehicle. Inside the residence, officers recovered the money.

Two persons were arrested for their part of the robbery, DPS said. A third suspect is still being sought.

According to McMillen, a confession was obtained by one of the arrested parties.

Robbery charges are pending through the Scott County Prosecutor's Office for all three subjects, whose names have not yet been released.

"PSO Smith's sound police work is what led the quick resolution to this case," said Detective Lt. Mike Williams. "Without his attention to detail, we would have had to spend several more man hours doing interviews and follow ups to solve this crime."