Police: More charges for teen charged in business armed robberies

Published 1:29 pm Wednesday, November 2, 2016

SALISBURY — A local teen faces an added charge this week after police connected him to an October  convenience store robbery where he went into the store with a gun and demanded money. He already faces felony robbery charges involving Auto Zone.

Thomas Gerhard Emmesberger, 18, whose address is listed as the streets of Salisbury, was charged with the Oct. 12 robbery of Circle K convenience store.

The clerk was stocking merchandise at the back of the store when the door chimed so she went to the front of the store. The man, later believed to be Emmesberger, pointed a gun at her. The man told the woman to put the money in his bag.

The clerk said his face was covered with a bandana and he wore a dark hooded sweatshirt. Circle K is located at 1015 E. Innes St., just off the exit ramp to Interstate 85. The clerk was not harmed.

A few days later Auto Zone was robbed Saturday by a man wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt, dark pants and a red bandana over his face. He pointed what appeared to be a gun inside a sock.

Police said the suspect grabbed for the money in the register and left the store with $4.

While police were at Auto Zone, an Advance Auto Parts employee told them he believed the same person tried to rob the store. A clothing description was given that police said matched the Auto Zone robbery.

Nothing was taken in what appears to be an attempted robbery at Advance Auto Parts, 420 E. Innes St.

Police said someone tried to rob the Speedway gas station, 500 E. Innes St. The person was wearing similar clothing to the Auto Zone robbery suspect and demanded money. In that incident officials said the robbery suspect had what they believed to be a gun.

Emmesberger remains in the Rowan County Detention Center.