A 71-year-old man was robbed at gunpoint of cash winnings by someone who had followed him from an Oklahoma casino to a Fort Smith restaurant, police say.
The victim, a Mansfield man, told responding officers around 3:48 p.m. Wednesday that he was followed by someone that afternoon from a casino in Pocola, Okla., to Texas Roadhouse at 3111 S. 74th St.
While sitting in his vehicle outside the restaurant, a handgun-wielding robber approached the man's window and demanded money, according to a news release.
The robber, identified Thursday by police as 29-year-old John Taylor Jr., took an undisclosed amount of cash from the victim before firing two rounds at his vehicle and fleeing the scene, authorities said.
Taylor was questioned and arrested on a charge of aggravated robbery after information received from numerous witnesses at the casino linked him to the crime, police said.
While being interviewed, Taylor told police he threw the gun into the Arkansas River after the robbery. Cash in Taylor's possession was recovered and seized, authorities said.
Records show Taylor was being held at the Sebastian County jail without bond as of Thursday afternoon.
Read Friday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.
