By T. Scott Boatright
A Ruston man remained in the Lincoln Parish Detention Center faces charges of Simple Robbery and Disturbing the Peace by Profanity.
Mack Arthur Gray, Jr., 36, of 803 Groveland Street, was arrested at 12:04 p.m. Saturday at the West California Avenue E-Z Mart after Ruston Police Department officers responded to a call in reference to a customer disturbance.
Gray’s arrest affidavit says that upon arrival at the scene, an officer with the RPD made contact with Gray, who allegedly told the officer he had tried to cash in some lottery tickets but the cashier at the store did not give him as much money as he expected, so he began yelling at the cashier and telling him to “call the cops.”
The cashier reportedly confirmed Gray’s story, telling an RPD officer that the altercation stemmed from Gray attempting the cash in the lottery tickets but not getting as much money in return as he expected.
That cashier then allegedly advised the officer that Gray had taken “$20 from the immediate possession” of another female clerk working behind the store counter.
Store video viewed at the scene by the officer reportedly showed Gray “causing a disturbance and shouting profanities” before grabbing the $20 from on top of the cash register the female clerk was using.
That female clerk reportedly told the officer she felt intimidated during the altercation was Gray, who was then advised of his Miranda rights, handcuffed and transported to the LPDC, where he remained Monday on a $5,000 bond.