AUGUSTA — A city man accused in Friday’s robbery of The Big Apple convenience store on Stone Street had his initial appearance in court Tuesday via video link from the Kennebec County jail.
Justyn Edson Wilson, 20, of Augusta, robbed the convenience store about 12:10 a.m. Friday, police allege. He had his hand in his pocket pointed toward the cashier and demanded money and a pack of cigarettes, police said.
Judge Cynthia Montgomery set bail for Wilson at $5,000, and he is prohibited from having contact with several people related to the case as well as from possessing or using a dangerous weapon, including a firearm.
After his arrest Saturday, Wilson was charged with one count of robbery, a felony, and one count of theft by unauthorized taking.
In his probable cause affidavit, Officer Christopher Guay said security video showed two people arrived at the store about the same time but went inside a few minutes apart. While one, dressed in a red-and-black hooded shirt, walked to the back of the store, the other, in a blue shirt, walked by the first man, then went to the counter. He was seen in the video pulling something up over his face to hide his identity.
Witness accounts say the man in the blue shirt began counting to 10 and said: “If I get past 10, then I am going to start popping rounds.”
Eventually, one of the cashiers opened the register and gave him $144 and a pack of cigarettes.
Guay said in his affidavit that the man in blue shirt ran out of the store, and the second man ran out as well. He said in the affidavit that the second man appears not to have been involved in the robbery.
Wilson was arrested at 3:41 a.m. Saturday on Oxford Street on charge of robbery.
Attorney John O’Donnell, who appeared with Wilson via video link, had sought bail at $1,500 as well as a contract for supervision through Maine Pre-Trial Service, if that were possible.
Assistant District Attorney Christopher Coleman said $5,000 is appropriate bail for a felony. While no weapon was used, the cashiers believed he was armed. And while Wilson doesn’t have a history of violent crime, he has failed to appear for court dates, including one instance of three appearances in one day.
Wilson said on that day, his attorney had changed the court date but had not let him know.
Jessica Lowell — 621-5632
Twitter: @JLowellKJ
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