A Starkville man faces a robbery charge after an incident Monday at Petty’s Barbecue on Highway 12 in Starkville.
Tobias Demond Miller, 30, of 626 Tea Garden Lane, turned himself in to police Tuesday and was released on a $5,000 bond.
According to police, a man the victim identified as Miller approached a customer standing in line at Petty’s around 10 p.m. Monday and grabbed her wallet. After a brief struggle, which ended with Miller pushing the victim down and hitting her in the face, Miller recovered an undetermined amount of money which had fallen out of the wallet during the struggle then fled the scene in a black Nissan Armada, witnesses said.
The victim identified Miller as someone with whom she had been in a past relationship. Other misdemeanor charges – including simple assault – are also being investigated. Police said the victim did not receive treatment at the scene but may have gone to the hospital on her own.
Billy Petty, who was working Monday evening, said the incident happened near closing time.
“All I know is that he came up and they started fighting and he grabbed her purse and took off,” Petty said. Petty said he didn’t know either the victim or the assailant.
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