UPDATE (6:45 p.m.):
Fox 4’s Austin Schargorodski went to Jackpot Zone as soon as he found out about the armed robbery, and he talked with a man whose wife was inside when it happened.
Yellow tape blocked off the parking lot in front of Jackpot Zone as deputies and forensics teams investigated.
As this work was happening - Jonathan Flores said he was sitting at work when his phone buzzed with an SOS notification from his wife.
“I tried to call - no answer. So, I jumped in my car, GPS’d to the location that the SOS signal sent, and just rushed down here as quickly and safely as possible,” said Flores.
Flores said he was trying to stay calm…until he saw the number of squad cars and yellow tape at the arcade.
“My panic mode went from here - to here,” Flores said, gesturing upward with his hand.
So, Flores said he immediately starting asking deputies about what happened.
“I said ‘I just want to make sure everyone in that building is okay, is everybody okay’. They said we can confirm everyone in the building is okay. At that moment, it didn’t make my panic completely go away, but it brought me back down to where I was when I got here,” Flores explained.
Deputies identified 40-year-old Harry Deshawn Thompson as the suspect, and arrested him hours later.
Deputies say he walked in the arcade wearing a ski mask and gloves, pointed the gun at the cashier and demanded money before running out the back door.
While Flores waited to finally speak to his wife who was still inside answering questions, he said he’s thankful for the SOS feature on our phones.
“I think more and more people should be aware of those features so they can use them and help them in a situation like that. Not just to let their loved ones know, but to get the help they need quickly,” said Flores.
UPDATE (5:50 p.m.):
The Charlotte County Sheriff's Office says they have arrested and charged a man for Wednesday morning's armed robbery.
Sheriff Bill Prummel says 40-year-old Harry Deshawn Thompson walked into the arcade wearing a ski mask and gloves. They say he pointed the gun at the cashier and demanded money. It's not clear how much he took, if any, but investigators say he ran out the back door.
They later identified Thompson as the suspect. Deputies tracked him down and said he was with the car used in the robbery. They arrested him on several armed robbery charges.
UPDATE (3:20 p.m.):
Deputies say they are looking for a man described as skinny, about 5'8". He was wearing all black and a ski mask.
ORIGINAL STORY:
The Charlotte County Sheriff's Office is investigating an armed robbery at the Jackpot Zone on Tarpon Boulevard Northwest and US-41.
Deputies tell Fox 4 they are looking for a suspect, but there is no description at this time.
It's not clear what kind of weapon was used or how much was taken from the arcade.
Investigators are looking to obtain video from surveillance cameras. If you have video or know anything about the robbery, call the sheriff's office.
