Franklin man charged in robbery

Published 3:12 pm Monday, May 7, 2012

COURTLAND—A Franklin man has been arrested for allegedly robbing a Courtland-area convenience store on Sunday and is suspected of robbing another store outside Franklin earlier in the day.

Southampton County Sheriff’s Office on Monday arrested Travis J. Files, 26, after executing a search warrant at his home in the 33000 block of Edgehill Drive.

Files

Files allegedly robbed the Sunoco Food Mart in the 28000 block of Southampton Parkway at 8:30 p.m. Sunday, said Major Gene Drewery. File apparently asked the clerk for change, and when the cash registered was opened, he grabbed the money and took off.

Deputies tied Files to the crime from a surveillance photo taken at the Sunoco, Drewery said.

Capt. Rick Gaddis with the Isle of Wight Sheriff’s Office believes Files also robbed the Eagle Mart on Carrsville Highway east of Franklin at 11 a.m.

“It was the same MO, and he matches the description (of the alleged robber),” Gaddis said.

A black man weighing 250 to 300 pounds asked the clerk for change, and when she opened the register drawer he grabbed some cash, Gaddis said.

The alleged robber, who was wearing a black T-shirt and dark shorts, drove off in a white sedan with Virginia license plates.

“The clerk recalls seeing a gold-colored Sonata emblem,” he said.