EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WEHT) — Evansville Police believe a man possibly connected to a robbery several weeks ago was caught with a butter knife after being seen at the store again.
On the morning of August 14, a man entered the Himalaya Food Mart and grabbed some items. Police say the man approached the cash register, walked behind the counter and brandished a knife to the worker. The affidavit states the suspect told her to open the drawer and then took all the money out of it. EPD states they were not able to catch the suspect after this robbery.
Weeks later on September 2, dispatch says they received a call from someone inside the Himalaya Mart who believed the store was about to be robbed. A man inside the store matched the description of the August robbery suspect, police say, and was also wearing near identical clothing.
According to an affidavit, the suspicious suspect lingered around the store, seemingly waiting for other customers to leave. Police claim this activity was also seen during the robbery back in August. The affidavit states the suspect put the items on the counter, told the clerk he’d be right back and then hopped into a truck waiting outside.
Police believe the vehicle was staged as a “get away car”, and the suspect may have been scared off by nearby sirens. EPD says they stopped the suspect after he got out of the car on Plaza Drive. Authorities say the suspect, identified as Maurice L. McRae, matched the description for the call.
According to an affidavit, McRae was found with a silver colored butter knife in his back pocket. EPD believes the shoes McRae was wearing were the same type as the suspect in the August robbery. The mask and sunglasses also matched, police say. The affidavit states both the August robbery suspect and McRae left the store along the same routes.
During an interview, police say McRae acknowledged the similarities between him and the August suspect, but did not admit to a robbery. Maurice L. McRae was booked into the Vanderburgh County Jail and is facing a robbery charge.
