A Williams Street man was arrested after robberies at two stores within two hours of each other.

Ronald Deon Brooks, 36, was charged with armed robbery and theft by snatching.

Police said a man went into the Summit station at 320 Commerce Ave. about 6:15 a.m. Saturday and told the cashier to put all the money in the register and a pack of Newport cigarettes into a bag.

The man held his hand in his pocket and told the woman not to scream because he had a gun. A video was taken of the robbery.

About two hours later, a man walked to the BP station at 101 Lukken Industrial Drive and saw the cashier loading the ATM with cash. The man grabbed $1,000 in $20 bills and tried to leave the store.

A struggle began with the cashier pushing the man into a newspaper rack and the man punching the cashier in the mouth. Before the thief left the store, the cashier trapped his jacket and shirt in the door, forcing him to leave them.

Officers found a cell phone and a full pack of Newports in the pockets. Police determined Brooks was the robber “based on the description, the video and the robbery that occurred on Lukken Industrial,” police Sgt. Roger Pointer said this morning.

The cell phone didn’t work, “but we managed to get it charged up,” he said, and a name was found.

Officers went to Brooks’ residence and found him hiding in a shed behind it about 5:45 p.m. Saturday.

Trey Wood can be reached at twood@ lagrangenews. com or (706) 884-7311, Ext. 228.