By Shavonne Walker

shavonne.walker@salisburypost.com

SALISBURY — Police say a Salisbury man was captured after a short foot chase minutes after an armed robbery at Rite Aid Thursday night.

Willie Junior McLean, 55, of Ridge Avenue, was charged with felony robbery with a dangerous weapon and misdemeanor resist, obstruct, delay an officer. He remains in the Rowan County jail under a $55,000 secured bond.

Police Capt. Melonie Thompson said officers responded to the store, 640 W. Jake Alexander Blvd., around 9:43 p.m. to a robbery that had just occurred. Officers got a description of the suspect’s clothing.

The suspect went into the store, picked up a bottle of Axe body wash and then went to the front of the store and robbed a cashier at gunpoint. He took an unknown amount of money and walked out of the store toward Lincolnton Road.

A police officer in the 800 block of Lincolnton Road spotted a man walking. The officer got out of his patrol vehicle and asked the man to stop. The man began running and the officer followed. The officer quickly caught up to the man, later identified as Willie Junior McLean.

He tried to scale a wooden fence, but was stopped.

McLean tossed the money over the fence. Officers looked on the other side and found the money scattered on the ground, Thompson said.

McLean showed another officer who was familiar with him where he’d ditched a gun. The officer found the gun, which officials said was a BB gun.

McLean has a number of felony breaking and entering convictions, as well as a conviction for soliciting to first-degree rape, assault with a deadly weapon, misdemeanor larceny and misdemeanor breaking and entering.