By Shavonne Potts
spotts@salisburypost.com
Police say a Salisbury man was apprehended and charged with robbery less than an hour after he walked into a Rushco convenience store demanding money.
Joseph “Joe” Michael Cerone, 21, of 111 Elmwood Drive, was charged Wednesday night with robbery with a dangerous weapon.
Salisbury Police officers responded to Rushco No. 2, 2480 Statesville Blvd., around 10:22 p.m. The clerk said she’d been robbed at knifepoint by a man wearing a red T-shirt, red baseball cap, jeans and “unique” black and white athletic shoes. He had a white cloth over his face.
Witnesses said the man ran on foot toward Ashbrook Road and Hendrix Barbecue.
Police searched the area and found Cerone walking near Ashbrook Road and Elmwood Drive. He was not wearing the red clothes witnesses reported seeing. He told authorities he’d just come from a friend’s house, which police were able to confirm.
He gave them permission to search his home, where he lived with his grandmother. Officers found a red T-shirt, baseball cap and other items that matched those worn by the robber in a trash bag buried in a container next to the garage door.
Officers found black and white athletic shoes matching those witnesses identified inside Cerone’s bedroom. A knife that matched the one used in the robbery was also found in his room, police said.
Cerone has previously been convicted of possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a schedule IV substance in May 2006. He served 45 days in the N.C. Department of Correction.
Cerone received a suspended jail sentence and was given probation for credit card theft after a conviction in October 2006.
He was being held Thursday night at the Rowan County Detention Center under $10,000 bond.