Alvin Anderson Jr. of Duncan pleaded guilty to the Oct. 1, 2011 armed robbery of the Circle K on East Main Street in Duncan.
Alvin Anderson Jr., 50, pleaded guilty to the Oct. 1. 2011 armed robbery of the Circle K, 592 E. Main St., Duncan. Anderson entered the business about 3:30 a.m. He picked up an item from a display and approached the counter. Anderson brandished a blunt object that was roughly the size and shape of a hammer and struck the clerk in the head. Anderson jumped the counter and hit the clerk again before he took a sum of money from the cash register and fled.
The clerk called 911 and locked the door to the store. Minutes after securing the business, the clerk fell to his knees and passed out on the floor. Duncan police forced entry and found the clerk lying on the floor with a bloody wound to his head. The clerk was nearly incoherent, but he was able to tell police a regular customer he knew as “Shorty,” a nickname later associated with the defendant, attacked him.
The victim later identified Anderson in a photo lineup created by police.
The store’s surveillance cameras recorded the robbery and Assistant Solicitor Zach Ellis entered the footage as evidence during today’s guilty plea.
The clerk appeared in court today and told Circuit Judge Mark Hayes he is still under a doctor’s care and he hasn’t been able to return to work. Judge Hayes issued the maximum sentence allowed by law. Anderson will serve 80 percent of the sentence before he is eligible for release.
Anderson’s prior criminal record includes a 1986 conviction for assault and battery with intent to kill.
“The clerk heroically maintained his composure throughout this horrific crime,” Ellis said. “He shared valuable information with law enforcement. I’m thankful he was able to come to court today and share his story.”