Sioux Falls, SD (KELO AM) - Quick thinking by clerks and a witness led to the arrest of a subject of the attempted armed robbery of the Get n Go on S. Minnesota Avenue Friday night.
Officers responded to Get n Go about 9:20 Friday night. While officers were responding they were given updates that the perpetrator was sitting in a car in the parking lot of the store. Upon arrival they came into contact with Daniel Todd Augustine.
During the investigation into the robbery they learned that Augustine had entered the store and displayed a handgun, threatening the two clerks that were working. At the time the store was occupied by several witnesses and the parking lot was busy with people and cars coming and going to and from the store. One of the clerks wrestled the handgun from Augustine. The gun that was wrestled away from Augustine was a .177 caliber air gun that was a replica of a real firearm.
Augustine then left the store and told a female sitting in a car in the lot to get out of her car. He did not make any threats or coercive statements to her. She did as she was asked but took the keys out of the ignition as she got out of the car. Augustine got into the car and tried to turn over the keyless ignition. He then exited the car as officers were arriving on scene.
Augustine was intoxicated and possibly under the influence of some other substance. He was taken to Avera McKennan ER for a medical exam, and was later transported from the hospital to the Minnehaha County jail where he was lodged for 1 count armed robbery, 2 counts aggravated assault, and one count of tampering with a motor vehicle.
No one was injured during the robbery.