Armed robbery, shooting incidents reported in Leesburg and Americus

LEESBURG — An armed robbery in Leesburg and shooting in Americus were some of the crime incidents reported near the Albany area on Wednesday.

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office report on the armed robbery said the incident took place at the Chevron station at 1603 Philema Road at around 8 p.m., after which Joshua Travis, 19, was arrested in connection to the incident.

A witness to the robbery said a man in all black with a backpack with a skull on it put a knife to his face just outside the store, and did it again in the store as he was trying to make a purchase. The witness said the man was acting strangely, the report said.

The report said a store employee told police the man asked for money, and after the employee gave him money, the man asked for more. The employee estimated that he handed over $400-450.

The report said surveillance showed a dark bag on the counter, and the employee taking cash from the register twice. The suspect, who identified himself to police as Travis, was detained while walking southward on Philema.

Police found $20, a steak knife, clothing, a Nintendo Switch, water and food when they search the bags Travis was carrying. The warrants issued against him were armed robbery, aggravated assault and possession of knife during the commission of a crime.

Earlier that day, the Americus Police Department responded to the 100 block of Cherokee Street, a news release sent from Maj. Herman Lamar said.

A man by the name Dontavius Jamel Harper, 27, was found there with a gunshot wound to the leg at around 4:30 p.m. Harper told police he was outside on the phone when he heard a loud noise and realized he had been shot, the release from Lamar said.

He was taken to Phoebe Sumter Medical Center with injuries not considered to be life-threatening, Lamar said.

Those with more information on the shooting are asked to call investigators at (229) 924-4550 or at the tipline at (229) 924-4102.

Special Photo: Lee County Sheriff’s Office