Richmond man charged in convenience store robbery
RICHMOND, Ind. — What might otherwise have gone down as a shoplifting incident became an alleged robbery when a Richmond man reportedly threatened to shoot a local convenience store employee.
David D. Mowdy, 53, was charged Friday in Wayne Circuit Court with robbery, a Level 5 felony carrying up to six years in prison, and theft, a misdemeanor.
According to Richmond police, Mowdy about 8:20 p.m. on Oct. 16 entered the Shell convenience store at 5890 National Road East, picked up a bag of tobacco and placed it in his jacket.
When confronted by a store clerk, the Richmond man "made verbal threats about having a gun and that he would come back and shoot the clerk," according to an affidavit.
Police reviewed a surveillance video that showed the confrontation.
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Shown an image of the suspect, a witness told a Wayne County sheriff' s deputy it appeared to be a man who was living in an abandoned van in the parking lot of a closed business near Commerce Road.
City police went to the location on Thursday and found Mowdy sleeping in the van. According to the affidavit, they noted he had clothing that matched that of the suspect in the surveillance video.
They also found a bag of pipe tobacco.
Taken to the Richmond Police Department for an interview, Mowdy denied playing any role in the events at the convenience store, and maintained the man show in the video was not him.
Asked if he wanted to take a polygraph test, the Richmond man told police he instead wanted to speak with an attorney.
Mowdy continued to be held in the Wayne County jail on Monday under a $25,000 bond. An initial hearing in his case is set for Nov. 1.
According to court records, Mowdy's record includes convictions for robbery, burglary, battery resulting in moderate bodily injury and trafficking with an inmate.
Douglas Walker is a news reporter at The Star Press. Contact him at 765-213-5851 or at dwalker@muncie.gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Richmond man charged in convenience store robbery
