Man Accused Of Two Circle K Robberies Arrested: Sheriff

THONOTOSASSA, FL — A man accused of robbing two convenience stores over the weekend in Plant City and Thonotosassa has been arrested, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said.

The suspect, Rhys McGall, 18, gave a threatening note demanding money from a cashier Friday morning at Plant City Circle K, 4704 West Trapnell Road, deputies said. The cashier obliged and McGall left the store in a white Kia minivan.

McGall went to another Circle K in Thonotosassa Saturday morning and allegedly repeated the same actions as in Plant City. The cashier at the 12850 Morris Bridge Road location gave him an undisclosed amount of money, and he left the store.

Detectives said he didn't get too far leaving the second location. Deputies attempted to pull him over as he drove east on Main Street in Thonotosassa, but he sped away into a chain link fence. The suspect left the van and continued to run from law enforcement officials, according to investigators. He was caught shortly after.

"This teen was seriously mistaken if he thought he could rob our local convenience stores and get away with it," Sheriff Chad Chronister said. "Through good detective work, our deputies were able to locate and arrest this thief before he could strike again. We hope he learns his lesson early in life that this behavior has serious consequences and will not be tolerated."

McGall was arrested on the following charges, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office:

• Robbery with a weapon less than 300
• Aggravated fleeing to elude
• Written threat to kill or do bodily injury
• Robbery with deadly weapon while wearing a mask
• Possession of controlled substance