Man robs Town Pump
The robbery occurred at this Town Pump location in Plains.
A Hot Springs man has been arrested after committing an armed robbery at the Town Pump in Plains, which occurred at 2:10 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 9. This incident comes just three days after the same man committed a robbery in Missoula.
According to an affidavit by Plains Police Chief Shawn Emmett, Mitchell Parker, 26, entered the Town Pump on Thursday morning, wearing a dark blue coat, a light blue ski mask, dark blue gloves and dark pants. Parker then produced a pistol and brandished it at the Town Pump clerk, demanding the contents of the cash register, as well as several packs of cigarettes.
Parker then placed the cash, coins and cigarettes in a plastic grocery bag and fled the scene in a black GMC Jimmy. The clerk’s husband, who was at the scene, followed the vehicle until it made a turn onto Montana Highway 28, headed towards Hot Springs.
The husband was able to make out a Montana license plate number, which he provided to Plains police. The license of the vehicle was found to be registered to Parker.
Plains Police Officer Frank Ceely responded to the scene, and obtained witness statements, as well as a preview of Town Pump security footage.
Officer Ceely, along with members of the Sanders County Sheriff’s Department and Tribal Law Enforcement reached Parker at his residence. There, they found items matching what officers had seen in the security footage, including a dark blue jacket and light blue ski mask.
A search warrant was issued, and officers found the pistol along with $173 in cash and coins and four packs of Marlboro Skylines and four packs of Camel Menthol Silver cigarettes.
Plains police have cited Parker with felony robbery.