Hayden Hodgkins (Submitted photo)

Scott Britton (Submitted photo)

AUBURN — Two Lewiston men accused of holding up a Big Apple store in December were charged this week with robbery.

An Androscoggin County grand jury indicted Scott A. Britton, 21, of 81 Horton St. and Hayden Hodgkins, 21, of 641 Sabattus St. on Tuesday on a charge of robbery, a Class B felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison. They also were charged with misdemeanor theft by unauthorized taking.

Both men are in custody at Androscoggin County Jail.

A local police detective wrote in an arrest affidavit that shortly after 2:30 a.m. Dec. 8, a man fitting Britton’s description entered the Main Street store armed with what was believed to be a revolver. He walked up to the front counter and pointed the handgun at the clerk and told him in a “very soft” tone to give him “all the money.”

The clerk opened the register and handed the robber roughly $80, the detective wrote. The man fled the store and ran into Bonney Park next door where the clerk lost sight of him.

Shortly after the robbery occurred, police spoke to Hodgkins who remained in the store. He told police he had gone there to buy a Honey Bun pastry. He said he heard a “commotion” at the counter and saw a man in a gray sweatshirt run out the front door.

Officers at the scene didn’t see a man matching that description in the area, the detective wrote.

Police reviewed surveillance videos from cameras inside and outside the store. Video showed Hodgkins and Britton headed to the rear of the store where they likely would have met up before the robbery.

Hodgkins walked to the front of the store, with Britton following about 30 seconds later, the detective wrote.

In video from cameras inside the store, police could see Hodgkins enter and walk to the coolers; a man identified as Britton walked to the counter and pointed what looked like a black revolver at the clerk, who handed him cash from the register.

Video from one of the exterior cameras showed Britton meeting up with a man in Bonney Park who appeared to have acted as lookout, the detective wrote. The two fled north and ran through the park down to the River Walk.

Police later talked to Hodgkins at his home where he admitted to playing a role in the robbery, the detective wrote.

Britton was arrested and spoke with police, admitting his part in the holdup. He said he robbed the store because he needed money to buy food. He had gotten the “fake pistol” from a friend, then tossed it in the river after the robbery, he told police.

The two men are scheduled to be arraigned on the charges in 8th District Court in Lewiston on Friday.

cwilliams@sunjournal.com

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