BRISTOL, Tenn. – Police are looking for a man they say walked to the front desk of a West State Street hotel early Monday, pulled out a large hunting knife and demanded cash.
No one was injured.
The robber left the Hampton Inn around 12:35 a.m. with an unspecified amount of money, according to Bristol Tennessee Police Sgt. Jason McCready. A patrol dog tracked his scent to a corner of the parking lot, where police believe he got into a car and sped away.
He is described as middle-aged, unshaven, tall and thin and wearing tan cargo pants, a dark hooded sweatshirt and a baseball cap with a design on the front. Police are examining the hotel’s surveillance footage and hope to distribute an image of the man’s face today, according to Bristol Tennessee Police Lt. Debbie McCauley.
Last month, another knife-wielding man robbed the Fas Mart just down the road from the Hampton Inn, got away with less than $100 and was never caught.
McCauley, however, does not believe the two are related, chiefly because the descriptions of the suspects are dissimilar – the Fas Mart robber was described as short and stocky, while the Hampton Inn thief was tall and thin. She said that area across from the hospital is inviting to burglars, both because its businesses are fairly isolated and its proximity to Interstate 81 makes for an easy getaway.
Police ask anyone with information on either robbery to call (423) 989-5600.
cgalofaro@bristolnews.com | (276) 645-2531
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