Update: Police held man at gunpoint after he used lemon to rob Food Lion. He was arrested
A man stole $449 in cash from a Food Lion near Longs this weekend after pretending to buy a lemon.
Paul Curtis, 31, was held at gunpoint before being arrested by North Myrtle Beach Police.
Curtis has been charged with armed robbery, possessing a weapon during a violent, kidnapping and disobeying an officer. He is currently being held at J. Reuben Long Detention Center. There is no bail set for several of his charges.
According to an Horry County Police report, Curtis came into the Food Lion, 110 East Highway 9, at 3:40 p.m. on Saturday, grabbed a lemon and brought it up to the cash register. The North Carolina man handed the cashier the lemon and told the cashier to not make any sudden movements and to place money from the cash register into the bag.
He then lifted up his shirt, showing a gun. He took the money and left the store.
He was charged with kidnapping because he restricted and confined the cashier and did not allow her to leave during the robbery.
After he left the store, a be on the lookout was issued for Curtis and his vehicle, and a North Myrtle Beach Police officer saw his car, according to the report.
The officer had begun to follow Curtis when he pulled into a Circle K near 15th Avenue North and entered the store. The officer also pulled into the parking lot. When Curtis left the building, the officer stopped him and held him at gunpoint. The officer called for backup.
Curtis took off running, heading across Old Highway 17 and into the woods. North Myrtle Beach Police set up a perimeter in the woods and used a K9 to search for him, according to the police report. Police were able to catch Curtis and detain him.
There are un-served warrants for Curtis’ arrest from Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, according to Mecklenburg County Public Information Manager Bradley Smith. The warrants are for robbery with a dangerous weapon and felony probation violation.
Details for those charges were unavailable.
This story was originally published January 29, 2024 at 1:26 PM.
