November 14, 2014 at 4:27 p.m.
Details emerge in Woodruff Krist station robbery
Details emerge in Woodruff Krist station robbery
Byron K. Lewis of St. Paul, Minn. was eventually taken into custody. Lewis, 43, was charged Nov. 12 with armed robbery as a repeater.
Lewis is alleged to have robbed the Krist gas station along U.S. Highway 51 in Woodruff at approximately 8:15 p.m. The police report attached to the criminal complaint alleges that Lewis walked into the store wearing a two-toned grey hoodie, his face covered with a black balaclava-style ski mask. According to the complaint, when he got to the counter, Lewis produced a gun from the hoodie pocket and demanded money. He then fled the station on foot heading north.
Officers from the Woodruff Police Department, Minocqua Police Department, Oneida County sheriff's office, Vilas County sheriff's office and Wisconsin State Patrol quickly descended on the scene. K-9 units from the Rhinelander Police Department and Lac du Flambeau Police Department also responded.
Police found fresh footprints in the snow heading in the direction the robber fled. In the shoe prints, a distinct impression of the shoe brand "Polo" could be seen. Based on the size of the impressions, investigators estimated that the shoe size was either a 10 or 11.
With the assistance of the K-9 units, officers were able to track the suspect to an area on 2nd Avenue where the suspect had apparently gotten into a waiting vehicle.
At about 9:59 p.m., officers received a call reporting a suspicious red minivan in the parking lot of Trig's grocery in Minocqua. Employees of the store reported that the van, driven by an African-American male, left the parking lot and headed toward Walmart. A Minocqua Police Officer and an Oneida County Sheriff's deputy arrived at Walmart and made contact with Lewis inside the entrance to the store. According to the police report, the first thing they noticed was that Lewis was wearing Polo shoes matching the shoes that made the prints in the snow at the crime scene. When they patted Lewis down to ensure he had no weapons, they found two gray M&I bank money bags that matched what the robber had taken from the Krist station. Lewis also had a large amount of money in his wallet and change on his person, according to the report.
Lewis was then arrested and transported to the Oneida County jail on a robbery charge.
The next day, when executing a search warrant on Lewis' van, investigators allegedly found a hoodie, a mask and a C02 pellet pistol that resembled the Beretta handgun believed to have been used in the robbery. The report says police also found $156 in rolled coins and another Krist bank bag containing $425 in paper currency. In all they recovered just over $1,000, either on Lewis' person or in the van, that police claim was taken in the robbery.
Court records show Lewis has felony convictions for robbery from 1999 and an armed robbery from 2008 and is currently on extended supervision in St. Croix County for the second offense.
Lewis, who is being held on a $50,000 cash bond, will have an adjourned initial appearance on Dec. 1 in front of Judge Patrick O'Melia.
Jamie Taylor may be reached at [email protected].
Comments:
You must login to comment.