Store Is Victim of Armed Robbery, Again

Tuesday marked the third time in six months the discount grocery Banana Boat at 65 Maple Ridge near Walmart was the site of an armed robbery.

According to the incident report, authorities were called to the store about 5:30 p.m. The clerk, a 45-year-old Cartersville man, said a heavy man with bushy hair and a beard walked in, reached in his waistband and exposed a black, small-caliber gun.

The 6-foot-tall man demanded the clerk's wallet and money from the business. He also asked for the employee's keys and cell phone, but took the business phone instead of the mobile phone.

A 55-year-old Cartersville woman playing video games inside the store also handed over her wallet. She said the robber demanded it and her cell phone.

The man then left in the clerk's 1986 Mazda truck, which police recovered at Collins Point Apartments.

We're gathering more information on the incident and will update the story later today.