Florida man robbed grocery store with kite handle: cops

Armed robberies happen with a variety of weapons, but this one might be among the strangest.

Anthony Robertson, 54, was arrested on several charges after he robbed a grocery store with a plastic kite handle, according to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies say Robertson approached a Jiffy Food Store in Ormond Beach just before 7 Sunday night. He then ordered an employee, who was outside closing up, back into the store. Once inside, he flashed a weapon and demanded money from a clerk behind the counter.

Robertson was given an undisclosed amount then fled from the store. Outside, two bystanders confronted him. One bystander tackled Robertson while the other hit and detained him until law enforcement officials arrived, the agency said.

Robertson was taken to a Volusia County jail where deputies discovered his “weapon” was nothing more than a rag covering a kite handle. Still, he was charged with armed robbery in addition to assault with an intent to commit a felony, false imprisonment and two counts of aggravated assault. He’s being held at Branch Jail on $35,000 bond, according to the sheriff’s office.

This wasn’t Robertson’s first run in with the law. Court records show Robertson served 44 days in jail for grand theft and credit fraud in 2018.

C. Isaiah Smalls II is a reporter covering breaking and trending news for the Miami Herald. Previously, he worked for ESPN’s The Undefeated as part of their inaugural class of Rhoden Fellows. He is a graduate of both Columbia University and Morehouse College.