Attempted robbery near Waynesboro

By The News Virginian Staff

Published: June 6, 2008

An attempted armed robbery this morning at the Ladd Convenience Store on Route 340 near Waynesboro ended abruptly when the flustered, would-be bandit fled the scene empty handed, police said.

The male suspect entered the store at 7:27 a.m. brandishing an unidentified object wrapped in a towel, approached the clerk and demanded cash, Capt. Dwight Wood of the Augusta County Sheriff’s Department said. 

“His statement was, ‘If I don’t get the money, they’re going to kill my wife,’” Wood said.

When the clerk delayed handing over any money, the robber apparently became frightened, turned and ran from the building before fleeing towards the Waynesboro city limits in a white, 1980s or 1990s model, full-sized Chevy or GMC pickup truck with a lowered tail gate, Wood said.

No one was injured during the incident, and no property was taken. It is not clear whether the subject was actually armed, Wood said. The store has no surveillance camera, he said.

The suspect is described as a white male, approximately 6-ft tall, weighing between 250 and 275 lbs., with brown, bushy hair.

Any one with information about the crime is asked to contact the Augusta County Sheriff’s Department at 540-245-5333.