‘This hits us so close to home’
ROGERSVILLE – The Pioneer Grocery store in Rogersville was robbed by two suspects brandishing handguns on Monday evening, and as state police continue to investigate the crime the store’s owner are offering a $5,000 reward for information that will lead to the suspect’s arrests.
Store owners Ken and Caitlin Carlisle told the Messenger on Tuesday that shortly before the store’s closing at around 10 p.m. Monday two suspects wearing masks approached the register counter holding what appears to be pistols and told an employee to take money out of the register and put in a bag they gave her.
Surveillance video provided by the Carlisles shows that the suspects were wearing gloves, gray masks and hooded sweatshirts; the suspect who ordered the employee to give them the cash from the register was wearing black, while the accomplice was wearing a camouflaged hooded shirt.
After getting the money, the suspects quickly disappeared through the front door; the Carlisles said outside surveillance video shows that the suspects did not have a vehicle in the store parking lot but they left the premises on foot.
Caitlin Carlisle said there were two female employees working inside the store at the time of the robbery, and nothing else was stolen.
The inside video shows one of the suspects repeatedly pointing the weapon at the employee behind the counter as the money was being retrieved from the cash register. The Carlisles said neither employee was physically injured in the incident.
The Carlisles said a witness told them they saw a vehicle parked on Cherry Alley, near the store at the time of the incident and saw two people get out of the vehicle, but could not provide more details about the people or the vehicle; the witness also reported that the vehicle was a four-door and was “very loud,” they said.
Based on this information, the Carlisles said they believe the suspect parked their vehicle on Cherry Alley and walked to the store, and after the robbery they returned to the vehicle.
The Carlisles said they are working with state police in their investigation, and they are offering the $5,000 reward for any information that will lead to the suspect’s arrests.
They also released the surveillance video footage on Facebook and are inviting people to share the information on their Facebook pages as well; they are also encouraging anyone with information about the robbery to contact Ken Carlisle at 724-710-6836, or they can call state police at 724-627-6151.
As of press time, no updates on the incident were provided by state police or the Carlisles.
Since the Carlisles posted the video and information, numerous people have shared it, and the couple said they hope social media awareness – as well as the reward – will encourage someone to help them catch the suspects.
“We received many comments from friends and community residents who offered their support and sentiments, and they are greatly appreciated,” Caitlin Carlisle said. “However, one of the more common comments was along the lines of ‘At least no one was hurt,'” and though I understand the sentiment behind that, the fact is, there are people who were hurt.
“We unwittingly are painting these types of crimes as victimless as long as there aren’t any physical injuries,” she continued. “I see employees who are ‘hurt’ and communities that are ‘hurt.’ And the violation of trust and safety and comfort ‘hurts.’ We have two little boys – one has been afraid to sleep alone for almost a year because (he is afraid that) ‘bad guys’ will break into the house and the other who thinks people steal and rob everywhere.
“That hurts,” she said. “I’m not sure what motivates people to do things like this, but it’s time we start protecting people other than criminals. This hits us so close to home. These crimes are in our backyard, where our kids live. The fear, unease and worry that impact our communities when crimes like these are committed hits just as hard as actual physical violence.”
She added that the latest criminal incident has forced the couple to contemplate the store’s future.
“What do we do?” she asked. “What can we do? We have to worry about the safety of our employees. So, do we close? Shorten the store’s daily hours? These are the kinds of questions we have to ask ourselves, on top of feeling violated, unsafe, unsure.”
This recent robbery was the fourth time since 2015 that suspects either robbed, broke in, or attempted to break into the store.
Last July, the Carlisles said a suspect crashed through the front door of the store while operating a green quad, entered the store and cut the alarm and phone lines. The suspect was never caught.
In the fall of 2016, the Carlisles said someone broke in to the store through a steel door in the back, but nothing was taken.
According to state police, on July 27, 2015, a male suspect entered the store at around 9:50 p.m. July 27, 2015 and handed the clerk a note indicating that she would be shot if she did not give him money; a brief struggle between the two ensued and the suspect then verbally threatened to shoot the clerk and a young child who was standing behind her, police said.
The clerk then backed up, and the suspect removed $100 from the cash register and then fled the store, police said.
Following an investigation and after receiving anonymous tips, police charged Curtis M. Vanbuskirk, 26, of Holbrook with robbery, terroristic threats and theft; and Michelle L. Cain, 26, of Cameron, West Virginia, with conspiracy to commit robbery, conspiracy to commit terroristic threats and conspiracy to commit theft.
According to court records, Vanbuskirk pleaded guilty to the charges in October 2015 and was sentenced on March 2016 to serve 30 to 60 months in jail. In February 2016, Cain was admitted to the county’s ARD program for the conspiracy charges of robbery and theft, and the conspiracy to commit terroristic threats charge was dismissed.