Break Time robbery staged
A Break Time employee allegedly planned a robbery with two suspects.
Published April 9, 2009
Police believe a robbery at a Break Time convenience store was staged by an employee and two others.
Columbia Police were notified early Wednesday morning of an armed robbery at the Break Time Convenience Store at 2101 W. Ash St.
Two men came into the store at 3:30 a.m. and demanded money, according to a Columbia Police Department news release.
The clerk told police they were armed, but that no firearm was seen during the robbery. The two men left the store after obtaining an undisclosed amount of money, tobacco products and Missouri Lottery products, the news release stated.
Both suspects are described as 5-foot-8-inches to 5-foot-9-inches tall with a thin build.
During the investigation into the robbery, detectives from the Major Crimes Unit discovered the report of the armed robbery was false, a second news release stated.
Police said Break Time employee Richard Nole, 19, planned the staged robbery with the two others to steal money and other products from the store. The two came into the store and performed a mock robbery on Nole.
The two additional suspects have been identified as 19-year-old Nathan Dinwiddie and 18-year-old Alec McCabe, the release stated.
During the investigation, the suspects made incriminating statements, and police found evidence that implicated them in the robbery. After a search warrant was issued, Dinwiddie's residence at 3901 St. Charles Road was searched for evidence.
Nole and Dinwiddie have been arrested and charged with theft. McCabe is still at large and is wanted on suspicion of theft, the release stated.
Anyone with information about McCabe's location can contact Crime Stoppers at 875-TIPS.