Local

Man arrested on suspicion of robbing Gastonia store at gunpoint

GASTONIA, N.C. — Surveillance cameras captured images of a robber standing just around the corner from a Gastonia convenience store waiting for the customers to leave Thursday morning.

He then put on a mask and rushed inside, waving a gun.

"Really kinda disappointed me,” owner Partik Naik.

(Jarmon Hemphill)

Police arrested a suspect, Jarmon Hemphill, about 20 minutes later one street over.

Naik said he always viewed his store, the Highland Mini Mart, as a service to the community.

In the video, the masked man points the gun at Naik.

"Mentioned a few times, 'I will shoot. I will shoot,” Naik said. “I just said, 'Don't do it. I'll give you what you want.'"

Naik pulled wads of money out of the register and handed the cash to the thief.

Then Naik dropped down behind the counter and threw boxes of cigarettes at the man.

"I was kind of, just get what you want,” Naik said.

Naik bagged a few cartons of cigarettes for the robber, which gave him a chance to trigger a silent alarm.

The masked man then asked for Naik's car keys.

Naik refused and the thief ran away.

"I was lucky that he didn't shoot,” Naik said. “I guess today is my day."

Hemphill is in jail under a $150,000 bond.  He was also wanted on other charges in an unrelated theft.

Read more top trending stories on wsoctv.com: