PANAMA CITY — A Panama City man who attempted an afternoon snatching of a store clerk’s purse failed to notice the store’s customers, according to officials.
Walter Lee Barnes, 49, was arrested Tuesday at about 4:30 p.m. after officers arrived to the Cannon Oil station, 1520 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, to calls of a robbery. The victim told Panama City Police she was conducting a “cash drop” into the store’s safe when Barnes jumped the counter and attempted to take her purse.
The attendant dropped the money she was placing into the safe and attempted to get her purse back from Barnes, so he also grabbed some of the money she dropped. As he turned to leave, he noticed several customers in the store were calling the police. Barnes returned the money and then fled the scene, police said.
Officers found Barnes nearby and took him to the PCPD for questioning. After investigators completed the interview, Barnes was taken to the Bay County jail, charged with robbery by sudden snatching.