Armed robber locks clerk in storage room at local convenience store

Vernon County Sheriff's deputies were dispatched to a rural gas station at 9:52 Monday night to investigate a reported robbery.

When deputies arrived at Fisca Oil gas station near Deerfield on the Kansas-Missouri state line they found an employee, Rachel Moore, who had been locked inside a storage room behind the store's register. She was reportedly forced out of the station's restroom where she was cleaning and pushed into the storage area by an armed robber. Authorities are unclear on how long Moore was trapped inside the room.

Moore was able to free herself from the storage room and call 911, she reportedly suffered no injuries from the attack.

The robber is believed to be a 5-foot 10-inch to 6-foot tall male, approximately 200 to 250 pounds who was wearing a gray hooded pullover sweatshirt, carpenter blue jeans, a dark colored ski mask and brown jersey gloves.

The suspect removed a blue bank bag from the store which had the letters UMB printed on one side and FISCA on the other side. The amount of money inside the bag at the time of the robbery has not been disclosed.

Vernon County Sheriff Ron Peckman said the man's face and body were fully covered; however, law enforcement officials believe he was probably Caucasian and carrying a small handgun.

The suspect may have been driving a dark-colored Ford Ranger, 1980's model, with an unusually loud or no exhaust system.

Surveillance video from the station which may have recorded the robbery is being reviewed by the sheriff's office, no information about the video is being released at this time.

Anyone with information relating to this crime is asked to contact the Vernon County Sheriff's Office at (417) 667-6042.