Man charged with two counts of robbery with a weapon

A Sebring grocery store owner used a can of beans to defend his property from a robber who had already tried to steal from a man waiting outside the business.

Ernest Gene Hargett, 57, of 3120 Grouper Drive, Sebring, was arrested Wednesday and charged with two counts of robbery with a weapon, two counts of assault with the intent to commit a felony, one count each of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and giving a false ID to a law enforcement officer and a warrantless violation of probation in reference to petty theft, third conviction.

He remained in the Highlands County Jail Friday under no bond.

A man was standing outside of Olds Grocery at 4:10 a.m., Tuesday when Hargett reportedly approached him with two broken beer bottles and - using the bottles as weapons - demanded money.

The grocery store owner saw the situation as he came to open his business for the day. When his doors were unlocked, the other man came inside to get away from Hargett.

As the two men were talking, Hargett came into the store swinging two knives wildly and said, "gimme whatcha got," according to the arrest report.

The first man ran to the back of the store after Hargett allegedly stabbed him in the chest with one of the knives, causing a two-inch cut. The owner was also heading to the back as the suspect started rummaging through items under the counter, the report stated.

In what could only be described as an attempt to scare the man away, the store owner grabbed a large can of beans and hurled it at Hargett. The suspect then left, but not before grabbing $8 in cash from the counter, according to the arrest report.

Neither men could identify Hargett by name, but the store owner was able to positively ID him when police showed them a photo line-up, the report stated.

Hargett reportedly told police he did break the bottles outside the store and told the first man to give him money.

"Hargett advised that he knew he had probably scared (the man); however, he said he was only kidding with him because he knew he didn't have any money," Sebring Police Det. Lucretia Milbrecht wrote in her report.

The suspect would not admit to robbing the store.