A London man has been arrested in connection to the May 23 robbery of a southern Laurel County gas station.
Laurel County Sheriff’s Detective Tommy Houston, Lt. Brett Reeves, Detective Brad Mink and Deputy Robert Smith arrested Hunter C. Steele, 23, of Hawk Creek Road, about 6:16 p.m. Friday. The arrest took place off Flatwoods Frozen Camp Road about 10 miles southwest of London after deputies developed information about Steele’s whereabouts, according to a Laurel County Sheriff’s Office release.
“This individual was found hiding in a shed on property there,” the release noted adding that he was allegedly found with a Glock model 19 pistol that had been reported stolen.
Houston served Steele with an arrest warrant charging him with first-degree robbery regarding the May 23 armed robbery of the Lake Shell gas station on KY 770 at Exit 29.
“Allegedly this individual entered the store armed with an assault rifle and demanded money leaving with an undisclosed amount of U.S. currency,” the release stated.
Stills from the Shell security cameras showed that two armed robbery suspects robbed the store at 1:57 a.m. on May 23.
The sheriff’s office release noted that the second individual is still being sought in this case.
In addition to the robbery charge, Houston also charged Steele with receiving stolen property (firearm).
Steele was lodged in the Laurel County Correctional Center where he was booked at 7:45 p.m. Friday.
A not guilty plea was entered in both cases during his arraignment Monday morning in Laurel District Court. A Sept. 2 preliminary hearing has been scheduled in both cases.
His bonds were set at $25,000 cash in the receiving stolen property case and $50,000 cash in the robbery case. If he posts bond, he will be required to be on home incarceration.
As of 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, he was still lodged in the Laurel County Correctional Center, according to its website.
The local office of the United States Marshal Service, Kentucky State Police, Knox County Sheriff Mike Smith and Deputy Sam Mullins all assisted with the investigation.
