Maplesville officers ambush robbers

Published 9:51 pm Monday, September 21, 2009

A tip led to the arrest of two people in connection with an attempted robbery Friday at Triple G service station on Highway 82 in Maplesville.

One would-be robber, a white male in his early 20s, entered the store about 9 p.m. armed with a .25-caliber pistol, Maplesville Police Chief Todd Ingram said.

The store had just closed, but three employees were still inside cleaning. Also inside were Maplesville police officers Corry McCartney and Greg May, who confronted the suspect after he pulled the gun on a clerk.

The suspect resisted arrest but was subdued without any injuries to the employees or officers.

A second suspect, a black male also in his early 20s, was apparently driving the getaway car and was also apprehended.

Both will be charged with first-degree robbery.

Ingram said one of the suspects might have been involved with at least one other recent theft in the town.

“We haven’t been able to tie it down because they won’t talk to us, but we’re still working on that,” Ingram said.

The suspects are being held at the Chilton County Jail.

The tip was crucial to officers being able to prevent the crime and make arrests, Ingram said.

“Most of the time, you don’t catch robbers in the act like that, and, if you do, it can be a bad situation,” he said. “This probably kept other crimes from being committed down the road.”