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Woman robs old employer, police say

A man, and a woman dressed like one, rob two stores, authorities say. Their mistake? She is an ex-employee of the second store.

By DEMORRIS A. LEE
Published September 9, 2006

LARGO - A man and a woman from St. Petersburg were arrested and charged in a pair of robberies Thursday in Largo and Pinellas Park.

In the first, Monica Rashunn Ellis entered Zone D Erotica, 12880 U.S. 19 N, Largo, about noon Thursday dressed as a man, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.

Ellis, 20, was purchasing an adult video. But as the clerk opened the cash register, Ellis pepper-sprayed her and snatched about $300 from the register, according to the Sheriff's Office.

Waiting outside in a sport utility vehicle was Demetrice Levon Ross, 20. Ellis made a dash to the vehicle with the money, authorities said.

The two allegedly pulled the same stunt 30 minutes later, authorities said.

This time, it was at Aroma Therapy, 5000 Park Blvd., Pinellas Park, said Pinellas Park police, who were called to the scene.

Ellis entered the business dressed like a man, pepper-sprayed a clerk, jumped the counter and rummaged through the cash register looking for cash, police said. There was none, so she headed to a break room in the back, where she pepper-sprayed another employee and grabbed a purse; the purse and its contents were worth about $30. Ellis then made a getaway in the SUV driven by Ross, police said.

But at Aroma Therapy, someone recognized Ellis.

"She was an ex-employee and had worked there for four days, and one of the employees recognized her," sheriff's spokesman Mac McMullen said.

Ellis and Ross were later arrested and charged with two counts each of robbery with a weapon. They were given a $50,000 bail for each count. McMullen said no one was seriously injured in the robberies.

[Last modified September 9, 2006, 06:35:05]