Woodstock Police Arrest RaceTrac Armed Robbery Suspect

WOODSTOCK, GA -- A 20-year-old Woodstock resident has been charged in connection to an armed robbery reported over the weekend at a convenience store near Interstate 575. Travis James Cooper was arrested Sept. 3 and charged with armed robbery, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, criminal trespassing and misdemeanor theft by taking.

Officers were dispatched around 3:49 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 3 at RaceTrac at 331 Olde Rope Mill Park Road. They arrived and met with two employees, who recounted the incident to Woodstock police.

A male suspect armed with a shotgun came through the front doors and directed one of the employees to the cash register as soon as he saw her. The woman said the male, later identified as Cooper, had the shotgun pointed at her and "as soon as she made her way to the register, the suspect pointed the shotgun at her face and told her not to look at him and give him all the cash," an incident report from the Woodstock Police Department states.

The woman complied with the suspect's demands, but told police she recognized the male's voice as belonging to a customer who frequented the store. The six-foot-tall male was wearing a white sweatshirt with stripes down the sides, a blue hoodie, red ski mask, red gloves and khaki pants at the time of the incident, the report notes (SIGN UP: Get Patch's Daily Newsletter and Real Time News Alerts. Or, if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app).

A deputy with the Cherokee Sheriff's Office, who was pumping gas at the time, observed the male suspect leave the store. While filling up his vehicle, the deputy said he "saw a person run from the front doors with a shotgun in his hand," the report adds.

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"He stated he drew his weapon and shouted 'freeze,' but the suspect continued running," the report states, adding the deputy said he did not have a "safe shot" at the male due to him possibly hitting people inside the store.

Officers canvassed the area, and discovered the suspect dropped his cell phone during his getaway. The device as well as the suspect's footprints were found on the grassy area to the east of the store, the report adds. A police K-9 was called to the scene, which was able to track the man in question to the nearby Ridgewalk Apartments.

The suspect was observed running towards the apartments during the track by other officers securing the perimeter. His location was pinned down, and he was taken into custody around 9:21 a.m. by the Cherokee SWAT and other assisting officers.

Police note the suspect allegedly stole $102 in cash during the robbery. Cooper remains held at the Cherokee County Adult Detention Center.

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