Woman pleads guilty to multiple gas station robberies

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WWAY)-  A woman is going to prison for robbing gas stations during a spree that lasted from April to June.

Edna Suell, 42, pleaded guilty this week to three counts of Robbery with a Dangerous Weapon, Assault with a Deadly Weapon, Assault Inflicting
Serious Bodily Injury, Felony Larceny, and Obtaining Habitual Felon Status .

Judge Josh Willey sentenced her to between 9 and 11 1/2 years behind bars.

The robberies started April 8. That’s when New Hanover County deputies responded to North Kerr Mini Mart at 1722 N. Kerr Ave in reference to a dispute taking place. An employee, Mark Headstrong, said Suell came into the store,  placed a can of soup on the counter and pointed a black bag at him and said, “This is a stick up. Give me all your money.”

Suell took a crowbar out of the black bag and struck the employee several times. The employee was able to subdue Suell until authorities arrived.

On June 3, Suell walked into the Kangaroo gas station at 1711 Eastwood Road and poured a cup of coffee and attempted to pay. When the cashier opened the cash register, Suell threw the hot coffee at the cashier burning him on his neck, chest, and shoulders. She then came around the counter and stole the money in the cash register and box containing multiple cartons of cigarettes and took off.

On June 8, Suell walked into Cigarette City located at 5224 Market Street and attempted to buy cigarettes. After other customers in the store left, she approached the cashier with her hand under her shirt behind her back and demanded cigarettes or she “would shoot.” Fearing that she had a gun, the cashier complied and gave her 5 cartons of cigarettes and she fled the scene.

Prior to these robberies, Suell had been convicted of at least 3 successive felonies.