A strong community response led to the swift arrest of Tony D. Sanford Jr., 32, in connection with an armed robbery at a New Albany gas station on January 31.
New Albany Police Chief Chris Robertson praised the community’s involvement, which played a pivotal role in the quick arrest. Sanford was charged with armed robbery after robbing the 76 gas station on Highway 15 near the I-22 intersection around 4 p.m. on the Friday afternoon.
Sanford turned himself in to the New Albany Police Department just an hour after the robbery was reported. He is currently being held at the Union County Jail with a bond set at $250,000. The chief confirmed that while some of the stolen money had been recovered, they hoped to find the rest by the end of the day.
The arrest was made possible by a strong relationship between the police and the community. Chief Robertson said they received several tips that led him to contact Sanford’s family, urging him to turn himself in.
Surveillance footage from the store showed a man holding a small semiautomatic handgun during the robbery, which was later recovered from Sanford’s home. No shots were fired, and the clerk at the store was unharmed.
Chief Robertson noted that Sanford’s actions appeared to be driven by financial hardship, but the decision to commit the robbery was ill-thought-out. The chief also emphasized that New Albany does not tolerate gun crimes, warning that they will go the extra mile to bring offenders to justice.
Sanford has a history of misdemeanor convictions but no felonies on record. No other arrests are expected in connection with the case.
