FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                    May 23, 2001

CARY, NC – Seconds after receiving a call at 1:21 PM about a robbery at Cary Pet Supply, 1301 Buck Jones Road in South Hills Mall, a vehicle and subject matching the description of the suspect were spotted by Cary police officers who followed the suspect vehicle onto Cary Towne Boulevard and onto I-40 where additional units were called in to make the stop. John Morris, 37, of 101 Hampton Lee Court in Cary, was taken into custody along with several items of evidence including a handgun, cash, and the wallet of the store owner which was taken in the robbery. Continuing investigation resulted in three additional charges of robbery with a dangerous weapon. Two were in Cary, one on April 19 at Space Savers in Saltbox Village, and one on March 17 at Play It Again Sports in Crossroads Shopping Center. He has also been charged with a robbery of WaldenBooks in Raleigh.

The suspect walked into to Cary Pet Supply about 1:16 PM, pulled a pistol on the owner, and asked him for money from the cash register as well as his wallet. The owner ran out of the store and called police. After his arrest, Morris was processed at CCBI and is being held at the Wake County jail on $250,000 bail.