WATERVILLE — Police on Saturday were continuing to investigate the robbery Friday night of a manager outside Rent-A-Center at 180 Elm Plaza off Main Street.
Detective Sergeant Bill Bonney said Saturday afternoon that he and his detectives had been working all morning on the case.
“It’s an active investigation and detectives continue to work on it through the day and have been following up on leads all morning,” Bonney said.
As of about 1:30 p.m., Bonney said he did not have any surveillance video of the robbery, but police were working on that issue as well.
A masked man armed with a black handgun held up the night manager shortly after 7:30 p.m. Friday, stealing the store’s deposit bag and fleeing on foot, according to police. The manager had just locked up the business for the night.
The gunman fled toward the corner of Main Street and Waterville Commons Drive, police said at the time.
The robber is described as being about 6-feet-2-inches tall and was wearing a black and red hunting jacket. State police, Kennebec County Sheriff’s officials and Winslow police helped Waterville officers at the scene. Police used a tracking dog, but the robber was not found. Police said the plaza was fairly busy at the time of the robbery.
A man at the desk at Rent-A-Center Saturday afternoon declined to comment on the robbery, saying police had advised employees not to discuss it, as that could compromise the investigation.
Rent-A-Center is at the northernmost end of Elm Plaza, which is separated from Waterville Commons Drive by high snowbanks. The entire periphery of the plaza is plowed so that vehicles can drive all around it. Walmart, accessible by Waterville Commons Drive, is located behind Rent-A-Center, and people walk from Walmart to Elm Plaza via a walking path in the snow.
Rent-A-Center is a national chain store that offers rent-to-own items including furniture, appliances, electronics and computers. It is located next to Radio Shack at Elm Plaza, which also includes a Subway, Hannaford, Kmart, Bull Moose, J.C. Penney and Olympia Sports.
An entrance to Interstate 95 is just north of Elm Plaza.
Amy Calder — 861-9247
Twitter: @AmyCalder17
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