Cortez Police Chief Roy Lane said law enforcement officials in northern California arrested Michael McCombs, 34, on Monday Nov. 3. Local authorities believe the suspect robbed City Market of an undisclosed amount of cash about 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 29.
Lane said the arrest warrant for McCombs included charges of aggravated robbery, menacing and theft.
According to a Cortez Police Department three-page incident report, a resident from the 100 block of N. Adams St. believes the suspect also stole her purse and two telephones from inside her home before the robbery. The resident told police the suspect was with an old friend who stopped to visit. While in her home, the witness said the suspect asked to borrow a piece of paper and a pen.
According to the police report, authorities believe the suspect may have used the same pen and paper to write the demand note used in the robbery.
A customer service representative at the store told police the note stated, “This is not a joke. This is serious. Hand over all your money. I have bombs set to detonate.”
The store employee said the robber then demanded only large bills from the customer service desk, and she gave him all of the $50 and $100 bills in the cash drawer.
Using surveillance video from the store, the Adams Street resident identified the robbery suspect as the same man that entered her home.
tbaker@cortezjournal.com