A Jefferson City woman has been charged in connection with a weekend robbery of a convenience store.
Court records show Sarah Smith, 27, of 307 Jackson, was charged with first-degree robbery. As of Monday, she was being held in the Cole County Jail on $100,000 bond.
A Jefferson City Police Department probable cause statement shows the robbery occurred around 5:17 a.m. Saturday at Break Time Convenience Store, 810 Stadium Blvd.
A store employee advised officers that a female (Smith) came into the business with one hand in her pocket and told the employee she was robbing him.
The employee said he was not sure if Smith actually had a weapon, so he lifted the cash drawer out of the register and Smith removed the cash.
She then fled the area on foot.
Officers later found Smith a block away from the store and stopped her for questioning.
Eventually a witness was brought to the location, but was unable to identify Smith as the suspect and she was released.
Smith was not wearing a hooded sweatshirt that the store employee had said the female suspect had been wearing during the robbery.
After further investigation, the hooded sweatshirt used in the robbery was found in a trash Dumpster behind the convenience store.
The Dumpster was along the path Smith took prior to being stopped by officers.
A video surveillance system at the store confirmed Smith's physical characteristics matched those of the robbery suspect.
Smith was located once again by officers and taken into custody after trying to flee from them and trying to hide cash believed to have been stolen in the robbery.
Witnesses were later found who heard Smith make statements about committing the robbery after being released by police the first time.
Another witness confirmed Smith is known to wear the hooded sweatshirt used in the robbery.