Police nab man they say robbed Wilmington Wal-Mart

UPDATE (8/20): WPD detectives arrested a Wilmington man today and charged him in connection with yesterday’s armed robbery at Walmart on Sigmon Road.

David Carl Collins, d.o.b. 3-22-1964, also has been charged with robbing the Bank of America at 1929 Carolina Beach Road on July 15, 2010.

Collins was spotted on Thursday afternoon when WPD officers were out on an unrelated call at the Travel Inn, 4401 Market Street. He was picked up for questioning and later charged. The original news releases on both incidents are attached.

Collins is in custody tonight at the New Hanover County detention facility under $800,000 bond. He is charged with two counts of Robbery with a Dangerous Weapon.

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WILMINGTON, NC – The Wilmington Police Department responded at 4:49 p.m. Wednesday to an armed robbery inside the Walmart store on Sigmon Road.

According to witnesses, a man approached the service center inside the store and displayed a handgun. He ordered the female employee behind the counter to hand over cash. As this was happening, a second employee entered the service area. Both women complied with the robber’s instructions. After taking the cash, the man made both women lie down on the floor behind the counter. Then he ran out of the store.

The robber is described as a tall white man, approximately 6’2”, about 240 pounds. He was wearing a white polo shirt, jeans, white athletic shoes, and a white cap with a black Nike Jumpman emblem. A photo from a store camera is attached to this release (suspect is in the center, wearing sunglasses).

Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the Wilmington Police Department at 910-343-3600. Information may also be submitted anonymously through Text-A-Tip. Text “Tip708” and the message, and send to CRIMES (274637).

One of the attached photos shows the man who robbed the service center, accompanied by his two companions. The robber is the tall man wearing the white shirt and cap. He is walking with a man in a red shirt, followed by the heavyset man in black. This image was taken just prior to the robbery. We also are attaching a cropped photo of the suspect.

Anyone who recognizes any of these three men is asked to call the Wilmington Police Department at 910-343-3600. Information may also be submitted anonymously through Text-A-Tip. Text “Tip708” and the message, and send to CRIMES (274637).

INFORMATION FROM A NEWS RELEASE SENT TO THE WWAY NEWSCHANNEL 3 NEWSROOM…