STAFF REPORT

A man who police say robbed a store at Prime Outlets San Marcos at gunpoint on Saturday was arrested minutes later near McCarty Lane as he tried to flee.

Ladarius DeJohn Evans, 20, is charged with aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon, a first-degree felony punishable by up to 99 years in state prison, said San Marcos police Sgt. Dave Waugh. Evans was arrested within minutes of officers being dispatched to the scene by a patrolling officer, Cpl. Scott Johnson.

“It certainly underscores the importance of having officers on patrol so they can respond quickly to emergencies and have a better chance of apprehending suspects,” Waugh said.

A 29-year-old employee of the Jones New York Sport store, 3939 S Interstate 35, told officers she noticed a black male, who she later identified as Evans, milling around outside the store before it opened, Waugh said. When the store opened about 10 a.m., he entered, walked directly to the counter and pulled a handgun, Waugh said.

After emptying the cash register and the store employee’s purse, Evans left in a vehicle the employee described to police, Waugh said.

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