Police still searching for armed robber

A man brandishing a firearm who robbed the North Main Street Dollar General Store Sunday was still at large Monday afternoon.

Maryville Public Safety reported that the suspect is a white male between 5 feet, eight inches and 5 feet, 10 inches tall and fled the scene on foot. The man was said to be wearing dark jeans, a dark hooded sweatshirt and bandanas to cover his face.

Entering the store with a handgun, the suspect demanded money from a clerk who handed over an undisclosed sum.

Maryville Public Safety Director Keith Wood said officers are following several leads.

Clothing items resembling those worn by the suspect were found in a narrow wooded area near the store after a police K-9 unit was brought from Savannah to aid with the search.

"The K-9 unit did recover some items that are possibly evidence," Nodaway County Sheriff Darren White said. "The articles of clothing appear to be what the suspect was wearing when he entered the store."

Officers from both Public Safety and the Nodaway County Sheriff's Department responded to the scene minutes after the robbery took place and cordoned off the crime scene and surrounding area.

"We thought that with the quick response time we could contain him," Wood said. "But we don't know if there was a car involved, if so, he had plenty of time to get away."

Wood said there are several possibilities about how the robber was able to escape. He may have had a driver or could have hidden in nearby buildings.

Officers were studying Dollar General's security camera footage for clues on Monday.

"We have some things that we are looking into that make us optimistic about this," Wood said. "We think that we will have something soon."

Store employees and customers said the weapon displayed by the robber appeared to be a semiautomatic handgun.

The investigation is ongoing with Public Safety taking the lead.

"Our participation is limited," White said. "But I know that Maryville Public Safety is working on this as diligently as possible."