SPRINGDALE -- Police are investigating after two men robbed a fireworks tent manager at knife point early Tuesday. They took money and fireworks and taped his legs, arms, eyes and mouth, police spokesman Lt. Scott Lewis said.
The manager didn't want his name made public because he fears the men would return and because police advised him not to, he said Wednesday.
Two men robbed Jake's Fireworks at 2:37 a.m. Tuesday, according to police records. The tent, which is run by the Knights of Columbus, is across the street from St. Raphael's Catholic Church, 1386 S. West End St.
The fireworks are being sold to raise money for charitable organizations and groups, according to the Knights social media page on Facebook.
The manager said he was sleeping on a cot in the tent to guard it when a man put a hand on his throat and a knife near his face, he said. The man demanded money, the manager said.
The man directed his accomplice, who wore a ski mask, to open the cash register, the manager said.
The men took the manager's cell phone and broke a laptop and tablet computer, he said. They took $200 and $600 in fireworks, the manager said.
The men bound the manager before fleeing, according to an incident report. The manager broke free and flagged down a police patrolman for help, according to the report.
No one was hurt, according to the police report. The manager said Tuesday he was shaken up.
Lewis wouldn't confirm Wednesday if the police have suspects in the case. The investigation is ongoing, he said.
A vehicle nearby showed signs someone had tried to break into it, police said in the incident report.
A police dog tracked someone from the field where the tent is to buildings at 1501 and 1502 Kirsten Drive, according to the report.
No other fireworks tent operators have reported robberies in Springdale or Fayetteville, police spokesmen said. There is no pattern of crimes against people running firework tents, Lewis said.
"This is a single incident," Lewis said Wednesday. "(Tent operators) should be no more concerned than the average citizen."
People should always be aware of and watch for suspicious people, Lewis said.
Tent operators are aware of the potential risk of theft or robbery, said Bryce Vaught, a tent manager and youth pastor at Living Faith Church on East 15th Street in Fayetteville. He and his wife, Brittany, worked at a fireworks tent set up to raise money for the church's youth ministry Wednesday afternoon.
The tent is in the church's parking lot. The tent isn't in the best area of Fayetteville, said Brittany Vaught.
"There is a little fear," she said.
NW News on 07/02/2015