ROCKWOOD STORE ROBBERY INVESTIGATION SOLVED
An armed robbery at the Cigarettes for Less store on North Gateway Avenue near Dunn Street has now been solved, according to Rockwood Police Chief Kelly Pittman. In an interview with BBBTV12, Pittman explained that the case involved the arrest of David Kenneth Lee, a Black male allegedly from Chicago, Illinois, who was apprehended during a traffic stop in Clay County in July of last year.
Lee fit the profile of the suspect, and a DNA test on a ski mask—found by Pittman the day after the March 3, 2024, incident following a canine search of the area the night of the robbery—linked him to the crime. The robbery occurred just after 8:00 p.m. on March 3, 2024, as the store was closing. Pittman emphasized his commitment to not letting such investigations go unsolved, noting that a suspect has now been arrested more than a year later.
Lee may be extradited back to Roane County to face charges. The employee closing the store that evening, Patel, a female, was not injured but was tied up during the armed robbery, according to the report.
