Man held in Payless robbery blames Dollar General theft on Cape woman

The Cape Girardeau man accused of robbing Payless Shoe Source, 3437 William St., at gunpoint Feb. 3 said an idea to rob the Dollar General Store a month earlier in a similar fashion was that of a 42-year-old Cape Girardeau woman, according to a probable-cause statement.

Gregory Williams, 32, of 321 Albert St., was arrested Feb. 4 and has been charged with first-degree robbery in the Payless Shoe Source robbery and is held on a $100,000 bond.

Williams reportedly tied up the store manager and threatened her with a gun before robbing he store safe of $60.50.

While being interviewed by Cape Girardeau police Tuesday, Williams reportedly admitted he had robbed the Dollar General Store, 64 S. Plazaway, on Jan. 6, of an undisclosed amount of cash.

In that robbery, two store clerks were tied up while Williams brandished a gun and took money from the store safe, the statement said.

Williams allegedly said the robbery was the idea of Patricia A. Sutton, of 925 William St., an employee of the store. Sutton reportedly corroborated most of Williams' story during an interview with police Thursday, according to the probable-cause statement.

Williams reportedly said Sutton told him the store would have a large amount of cash Jan. 6 at closing time and how he could get in the back of the store and hide. Sutton reportedly gave Williams a signal she would use when it was safe to come out.

When Williams heard Sutton's signal, he met her in the office area where she had the safe open. Sutton handed Williams the cash and was able to look at Williams, who was not masked. Williams then covered his face and Sutton contacted the other clerk over the intercom and requested her to come into the office.

According to the probable-cause statement, Williams said both waited in the back room by the door for the clerk. When she arrived, Williams pointed a BB gun at her and ordered her into the back room and onto the floor and tied her up with wire. Then he tied up Sutton, who he said knew would be tied up.

Then he allegedly locked both in the back room and ran out the front door which had to be unlocked with the knob on the door, the report said.

Williams and Sutton disagreed on how the money was distributed, but both reportedly said the other clerk was not involved in the robbery plan.

Williams said he gave Sutton her share the next day, the report said. Sutton said she never received any money from Williams.

Sutton was in custody in the Cape Girardeau Police Department to be transferred to the county jail Friday with a $100,000 bond, according to Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle.

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