MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — A man accused of robbing a Circle K with a knife this week was arrested and charged with first-degree robbery on Thursday.
Terry A. Wise Jr., of Morgantown, was arrested by the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Department at a home in Marjorie Gardens about 7 p.m. on Thursday.
A man entered the Circle K on Dorsey Avenue, wearing a green jacket and red ski mask, about 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday night, according to a criminal complaint.
Video of the robbery also showed the suspect was wearing white tennis shoes, a hood and jeans.
He had a large kitchen knife and took all $144 from the cash register, the complaint stated. He also demanded the store clerk give him cigarettes. The clerk asked what kind he wanted and the robber said it didn’t matter as long as they weren’t menthols, the complaint said. The clerk gave him three packs of Newport Reds.
The robber then left and ran across the street, towards Solomon’s Village, the complaint said.
Wise, a former employee of the store, was identified by a clerk who recognized his voice on the video, the complaint stated. She said Wise also matched the description of the robber – 5 feet 6 inches tall and about 120-130 pounds. A manager told deputies Wise worked at the Dorsey Avenue Circle K in August and September, 2018, until he was fired.
The clerk told deputies Wise lived in Marjorie Gardens and was arrested in August for domestic violence. Wise was arrested at 4111 Dorsey Lane on Sept. 27, 2018, for domestic battery, according to the criminal complaint.
A deputy reviewed video footage at Marjorie Gardens and saw a man leaving the 4100 building at 8:17, on Tuesday, wearing white tennis shoes, jeans and a “grey hooded sweatshirt underneath of a green cargo, cotton duck, type jacket,” the complaint said. The same man returned at 10:29.
About 7 p.m. on Thursday deputies went to that address with a search warrant and arrested Wise. He was wearing a green cargo jacket with a grey hoodie under it and jeans, the complaint said. While searching Wise, a deputy found a box of Newport Red cigarettes in his pocket. A pair of white tennis shoes that seem to match the ones in the Marjorie Gardens video were found in the apartment.
Wise was arraigned in Monongalia County Magistrate Court by Magistrate on Friday by Magistrate Sandy Holepit. His bond was set at $75,000. As of noon on Friday, he has not been booked into North Central Regional Jail or posted bond.
Story by William Dean