Five days after being robbed, a Korner Mart South employee was held up at knife-point Monday.

Tuesday, April 6, 1999

Five days after being robbed, a Korner Mart South employee was held up at knife-point Monday.

While police can’t say the two robberies are connected, owner Ron Kraus said his staff feels they are.

&uot;The clerk felt it was the same person,&uot; he said.

At 2:32 a.m., the clerk reported a lone man entered the convenience store brandishing a &uot;knife-type&uot; weapon, according to Albert Lea Assistant Police Chief Dwaine Winkels. The suspect was described as a white male in his late teens or 20s, weighing approximately 160 pounds and standing 5-foot, 9-inches. He was dressed in dark green sweatpants and a sweatshirt, and had a nylon stocking over his head.

The clerk was told to open the register and the thief took the money and ran from the Southeast Broadway Avenue business, heading east.

Winkels noted the robbery occurred shortly after officers had made a regular visit to the store.

&uot;Officers had just stopped in and five minutes later another officer drove by,&uot; he said.

That officer was flagged down.

&uot;We were only seconds behind him,&uot; the assistant police chief said.

Officers searched the area, but were unable to find the suspect.

&uot;He disappeared pretty quick,&uot; Winkels said.

Winkels noted the physical description of the suspect matches last Wednesday’s robbery, but there is nothing else to link the two crimes.

Still, Kraus said he feels there is a connection.

&uot;I think it’s out of the category of robbery and in the category of harassment,&uot; he said.

He added that financial gain can’t be the motive if the robberies are connected. &uot;He’s just not getting enough to make this worthwhile.&uot;

While he would not release an exact dollar amount, Kraus said the suspect took only a small amount of cash. The store’s clerks make regular bank deposits and put excess money in the safe.

If the case is harassment, Kraus said he’s unsure who the target is, the clerk, the store or even the police.

&uot;I don’t know if he’s just taunting the police or what,&uot; he said.

For now, Kraus said his company is looking at alternatives to deter further robberies.

&uot;We’re looking at everything,&uot; he said.

He said he’s not sure if adding a second clerk would make the store safer.

&uot;I don’t know what that does,&uot; he said, noting a second clerk wouldn’t be asked to stop or confront the robber.

For now, he said he’s unsure what the next move will be.

&uot;Are you supposed to give in and close the store?&uot; he asked.

He said he doesn’t want to do that because it provides a service to the neighborhood and he sees many good customers there.

He said employees are examining what has been done and what can be done to limit further incidents.

&uot;We don’t see any obvious mistakes on our part,&uot; he said.

To aid in the investigation of the robberies, Winkels said a $1,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect. The reward is offered through the cooperation of the Southside Business Association and the Albert Lea Police Department.