Gold robber on the run after heist

A masked man entered the front door of Crisson Gold Mine Store just before 5 p.m. last Thursday with a gun and duffel bag in hand. Minutes later he ran out the back door and into the woods with more than $100,000 worth of gold nuggets and jewelry, according to officials with the Lumpkin County Sheriff’s Office.
The daylight robbery immediately kicked off an all-out manhunt as officers from the LCSO, Dahlonega Police Department and Georgia State Patrol responded to the scene while issuing alerts asking locals to be on the lookout for the suspect. He has been described as a white male of about 225 pounds, ranging in height from between 5-foot-7 to 5-foot-10.
He was wearing blue jeans, black boots and a Cincinnati Bengals jacket at the time of the robbery.
“As far as we know he was alone at the time,” Lt. Alan Roach of the LCSO told The Nugget. “Because that’s all that’s visible on the surveillance camera. He did make mention that he had a partner but that could have just been to scare the people.”
It is believed that the man initially fled on foot as a K-9 tracking dog followed a scent from the back of the building until it apparently came to an end.
“The dog was tracking something for a couple miles,” said Roach. “… He tracked it to the point where it appears someone could have possibly picked him up.”
Investigators suspect he couldn’t have gotten too far on foot without being seen though.
“It was a decent sized duffel bag full of heavy stuff,” said Roach. “We’re hoping someone would have seen him walking to and from the place.”
On Monday, gold mine owner Tammy Ray said she appreciated the fast and thorough response by law enforcement.
“I couldn't ask for anything more,” she said. “And they’ve helped keep an eye out here since then.”
Ray’s daughter Brianna was at the counter, along with another employee, when the suspect burst through the door of the Morrison Moore Parkway business and announced that he was robbing the store.
Brianna kept her cool and followed along as the man demanded the valuables.
“She’s very strong,” said Tammy. “She’s doing good.”
Tammy added that if anyone has any potential information about the case, no matter how small, they should give the LCSO a call.
“I hope that if anyone had any information that they can think of, they may not think it can help, but they should call the Lumpkin County Sheriff’s Office,” she said.

Anyone with information is encouraged to call Investigator Sterling Cole at 706-482-2622 or send an email to sterling.cole@lumpkincounty.gov.