Rocky Mount police are asking for the public’s help catching the suspects in the most recent armed robbery of a local pawnshop.

Since opening at its new location in August, M&T Pawn shop at 1800 Sunset Ave. has had two armed robberies. The first occurred Oct. 21 and the second occurred Jan. 19.

The suspects in the first robbery were apprehended within 24 hours of the incident.

“This was largely due in part to sharing information with other agencies through methods of E-policing and communicating with law enforcement agencies within the region,” police Capt. Laura Fahnestock said in an e-mailed statement to the Telegram on Wednesday.

Shop owner Walter Tharrington is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspects in the second robbery. He said he’s fed up with crime.

“It ain’t safe nowhere,” he said.

According to a Rocky Mount Police Department E-policing report of the latest incident, four black suspects estimated to be between 20 and 30 years old entered the pawnshop about 11:30 a.m. and began to look at merchandise. Three of the suspects then brandished handguns and told the store employees to get on the floor.

After taking money and jewelry from the store, the suspects ran to the rear of the building and left in a 2008 or 2009 model, charcoal gray Volkswagen Jetta. The police have released photos of the suspects taken on the pawnshop’s security camera.

At 9:40 a.m. Oct. 21, pawnshop clerks reported that two unknown black male suspects, wearing all black clothing, gloves and masks, entered the business and demanded money.

One of the suspects had a handgun and the other suspect had a shotgun. With assistance from the Tarboro Police Department, arrests were made in that case on Oct. 22.

Arrested were the following: Alzavion Randolph, 20, and Nagi McKenzie, 21, both from Tarboro, who were charged with robbery with a dangerous weapon and conspiracy to commit a robbery.

Both are in custody.

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