An armed robbery that took place at the Signature Boutique Hotel at 1610 North Longstreet in Kingstree is the second such crime within nine months and has Kingstree Police deep in investigations. The robbery occurred during the early morning hours of Monday, August 16.  According to a police report a hotel employee was opening a door leading to the hotel’s kitchen area when a black male approached her from behind. The suspect remarked “Excuse me” to which the employee turned to see who was behind her. The employee states she looked down to see the suspect had a handgun pointed at her. The suspect who was dressed in black and had a black mask covering his face proceeded to force the employee into a restroom and instructed her to stay there for 20 minutes. The suspect then threatened her if she came out before his time frame.
According to the report, the employee believed the suspect could have been inside the hotel before the incident occurred. The employee stated all of the doors to the hotel were locked and only guests could access the inside of the hotel. The employee also stated she heard the suspect converse with another male but did not make eye contact with that person.
One of two safes was taken in the robbery but money in the hotel cash register was not removed. The employee’s purse and cell phone were not disturbed as well. The employee could not offer information as to how the suspect fled the scene and the suspect managed to avoid hotel surveillance equipment.
The suspect is approximately 5’7” and 190 pounds. Police are investigating several leads that include reports by witnesses who happened to be near the area at the time the crime occurred. If anyone has information concerning this or any crime, they are asked to contact the KPD at 355-5435 or CRIMESTOPPERS at 1-888-CRIME-SC. Callers are not required to reveal their identity.