Man robs AT&T store, zip-ties clerk

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Winter Haven, Florida-- A Bartow man was arrested in Winter Haven on Armed Robbery and Armed Kidnapping charges after he robbed a local cell phone store, and tied up the store clerk.

It was just after the AT&T store off Cypress Gardens Blvd. opened Monday morning, when 25-year-old Joshua Ramjit walked in and acted as if he was shopping for a phone, explains the Winter Haven Police report on the incident.

The 27-year-old store clerk- working solo at the time- told police he spent nearly 20 minutes talking with Ramjit about various phones, until Ramjit seemed to have all the information he wanted and began to "window shop."

As Ramjit looked around, the clerk said he continued to work at his sales floor kiosk, when all of the sudden, Ramjit was standing behind him with a "hard, pointed object" in his back.

Then, after zip-tying the clerk's hands together behind his back, Ramjit reportedly walked him to the back room and demanded access to the safe. 

He ended up making it out the store's back door with cash and multiple iPads.

The clerk, who was able to free himself from the zip ties, called police and gave a vehicle description, which a lead a deputy in the area to follow a similar car driving down Oriole Rd.

It turned out it was Ramjit behind the wheel, and he was en route to his sister's house. 

The deputy followed him to the home, where he arrested Ramjit and recovered the stolen iPads.

Police Chief Gary Hester credits Polk County's dispatch process for the fast-acting success in this case. The Sheriff's Office shares a dispatch channel with the Winter Haven Police Department, which makes it possible for the closest officer or deputy to respond to any call. 

"Let's face it, when a resident calls for law enforcement, they don't care if the uniform is green or blue - the closest unit to arrive is going to increase the chances of catching the bad guy, which is what we all want," says Chief Hester.