2 Circle K’s robbed, one by knife-wielder

A Yuma man was arrested by Yuma police in connection with armed robberies last night at two different Circle K stores.

Another Yuman was also booked into jail in connection with only one of the reported robberies.

Clerk Richard F. Prairie of the 2631 Arizona Ave. store told police he was mopping the floor when the suspect walked in and put a knife against his rib cage.

Prairie said the suspect forced him to open two cash registers while holding the knife near his face.

After both registers were emptied, Prairie told police, the suspect told him to go back to the storeroom and lie down. He said he was told not to utter a sound. He said he later saw the suspect run down 26th Street.

DUSTER CRITICAL

Sgt. Ralph Ogden (left) of the Wellton Sheriffs Office, Wes Burks and Tom Burks examine wreckage of crop dusting plane which crashed east of Texas Hill yesterday. The plane hit a power line while spraying insecticide, pulling down a pole, crashed about 150 feet away in an alfalfa field and exploded on impact.

Approximately $100 was taken from that store, police said.

About a half-hour later, police said, the 890 E. ‘24th St. store was robbed after one of two suspects threw clerk Collins Blair. 20. against a cash register.

Blair told police one suspect grabbed money from both cash registers and later kicked him four times.

Meanwhile the second suspect, Blair told police, began throwing jars and racks at him. A blue bandana on one suspect was used as a mask.

A witness, Darnell Caine Blair, told police one of the suspects cut him on the heel of his left hand.

Police arrested the suspects in the 2900 block of 8th Avenue. Charges had not yet been filed this morning.

A witness said the pilot could probably have missed the power line but was trying to avoid a nearby flagger. The pilot. John Charles Kauffman. 31, of Roll, is in critical condition at the Maricopa County Burn Center in Phoenix.