The suspected armed robber of the local Family Dollar store was caught a day after the robbery was reported to have taken place.

On Dec. 21 an armed robber entered the Picayune Family Dollar located at 800 M.S. 43 N. wearing a camouflage bandanna as a mask and demanded all the money from the cashier. After he secured the money the suspect fled the scene with an undisclosed amount of money, said Picayune Police Chief Jim Luke.

The next day a man believed to be the suspect returned to the store. Based on the physical description Family Dollar employees believed the suspect who robbed the store the day earlier returned the following day in plain clothes, so they called the Police Department, Luke said. Thomas Clayton Watt, 17, of 410 Dumas Bailey Rd. was arrested and taken in to investigative custody, Detective Charles Esque said.

“He matched the description of the burglar,” Luke said.

After more investigation, the next day on Dec. 23 Watt was charged with armed robbery of the Family Dollar, Luke said.

“I’d like to commend all the officers that worked on this case and brought this to a close,” Luke said. “It takes a team to make it all happen.”

Luke said this was the second armed robbery in a week and both were closed in 24 hours.