Court Street store held up again

LACONIA — City police are investigating an armed robbery that occurred at 10 p.m. Tuesday night at the Premium Mart on Court Street.

Police said a man wearing a black hooded sweatshirt entered the store and brandished a handgun, demanding cash.

A Be-On-The-Lookout Alert heard by someone who spoke with The Sun said the man was described as big, wearing a backpack, and possibly some kind of Halloween mask.

Capt. Matt Canfield said the suspect fled on foot with an undisclosed amount of money. He said a Gilford Police K-9 officer and dog along with city police conducted a search of the area.

Premium Mart owner Dave LeClair said yesterday the robber made the clerk go into the office.

He said this is the third suspicious incident in four days at his store.

He said he saw footprints going around his building on Sunday morning, noting he had plowed the parking lot at 4 a.m. and he noticed the footprints when he returned within a few hours to finish cleaning the lot.

LeClair also said that someone tried to pry open his door Monday night into Tuesday with what he thinks was a crowbar.

"I just replaced the door, (Tuesday), he said.

LeClair said Premium Mart has security cameras and police are reviewing the tapes.

City Police verified that this is the second armed-robbery of Premium Mart this year and there have been at least 10 armed-robberies in the city since January.