By Joe Johnson
An arrest has been made in an armed robbery of an Athens restaurant in which the gunman brandished an apparent Uzi type machine pistol.
William Richardson, 20, of Big Oak Circle was arrested Sunday on warrants charging him with armed robbery and aggravated assault.
According to police, Richardson wore a full face mask when he allegedly held up an employee at Choo Choo Express Grill on Gaines School Road on Nov. 12 and stole money from the cash register.
The employee said that a high school age male had come into the restaurant and asked for a job application, and after filling it out, asked if he could charge his phone, according to a police report.
After about 90 minutes had gone by, the employee saw that the male had gradually worked his way closer to the counter and then stood beside it while wearing a ski mask that covered his face, and then removed “an Uzi looking weapon“ from his pants waistband, which he cocked and pointed it at the employee and demanded the contents of the cash register, according to the police report.
After receiving the cash, the suspect grabbed a tip jar from the counter and ran out of the restaurant, headed toward Cedar Shoals Drive. The employee told police that the suspect was about 5 feet, 7 inches tall and had an athletic build.
The job application that the suspect had filled out and signed was collected by police as evidence.
Following an investigation, Richardson was identified as the armed robber and warrants for his arrest were issued, police said.