ANDERSON — An Anderson man was arraigned Thursday on charges of robbery, the day after he was released from an Indiana prison.
Prosecutors filed charges of robbery resulting in bodily injury and theft against 43-year-old Harold O. Afzal Jr. in connection with the July 21, 2008, robbery of Discount Tobacco, 2625 Columbus Ave.
Afzal alleged went in the store to buy a piece of candy, according to court documents. When the cashier opened the register, Afzal reached in and grabbed a fistful of $5 bills. Afzal briefly struggled with the cashier, but fled with an undisclosed amount of money. The cashier suffered a shoulder injury in the skirmish.
Afzal dropped the money nearby while running away, and lost his Bob Evans hat. Afzal was hired at the Scatterfield Road restaurant the month before the robbery, court documents state.
Investigators were ultimately able to identify Afzal as the prime suspect, using the hat and other clues to help them. The cashier picked him out of a photo line-up. Cameras recorded the robbery on video. The charges were filed in September.
Afzal was finishing a prison term at the Branchville Correctional Facility on Thursday when Madison County sheriff’s deputies took him into custody. Afzal’s probation for robbery and battery convictions had been revoked, and he was also serving a new sentence for failing to return for lawful detention.
Because of Afzal’s criminal history, prosecutors want him deemed a habitual offender, which could increase his sentence if he’s convicted.
Contact Shawn McGrath: 640-4883, shawn.mcgrath@heraldbulletin.com
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