Armed robber strikes Bonita Lakes cinema

By By Steve Gillespie and Georgia E. Frye / staff writers
Feb. 15, 2003
Meridian was the latest target Friday in a string of armed robberies at movie theaters in Mississippi.
Randy Jackson, an investigator with the Meridian Police Department, said a suspect described as a black male wearing a red shirt, khaki pants and a ball cap walked into United Artists Bonita Lakes Cinema about noon, and asked the assistant manager for a job application.
Jackson said the suspect pulled a small caliber revolver on the assistant manager, who was going to the cinema's office to get the application. No one was hurt in the robbery.
In the office, where cinema manager Monte Royal was working, the suspect took money from the safe and left both managers in the room after barricading the door with furniture. Jackson said the suspect also ransacked the office and took the surveillance camera videotape from the office before leaving the theater through a back door.
Royal and the assistant manager were let out of the office after other employees heard them call for help about 15 minutes later.
Theaters in Hattiesburg and Laurel have also been robbed in the same way, Jackson said.
According to Royal, "not much" money was taken. He also said police were given a detailed sketch of the suspect, who is believed to be on surveillance film from earlier in the week.
Police warned mall security and management about a week ago that robbery was a possibility because of the previous robberies, all in cities near interstate highways.
A police substation is located next door to the cinema in the mall. It is shared by mall security and DARE officers of the Meridian Police Department, but Jackson said no one in the mall was aware that the robbery was going on, including other employees in the theater lobby.
Tommy White, marketing manager of Bonita Lakes Mall, said it was fortunate that no one was injured and the suspect fled with a minimal amount of money.