(Stillwater, Okla.) — A Yale man who was originally charged with robbing the Kum and Go convenience store at 2001 E. Main Street in Cushing with an imitation gun has pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of second-degree burglary.
Justin Levi Catron, 20, who has been jailed since his arrest 25 minutes after the Dec. 27 incident, was ordered held without bond Friday by District Judge Phillip Corley pending his May 23 sentencing on the reduced charge.
Catron has a plea bargain with the prosecution for a one-year jail term followed by six years of probation, according to court documents filed Friday.
Cushing Police Officer Christopher Haywood was sent at 2:55 a.m. on Dec. 27 to the convenience store regarding an armed robbery, according to his affidavit.
A store clerk said “he was putting away products when he heard someone come inside the store,” later identified as Catron, “pick up bags of chips and walk back out,” the affidavit said.
The clerk said “he tried to call out to Catron to remind him to pay for the chips,” but as the clerk approached the door, “Catron turned around and pointed a pistol at him and said ‘what’s up?"” the affidavit alleged.
The clerk said that “he feared for his life and put a brick divider between him and Catron,” who left in a light blue four-door car, the affidavit said.
The officer said that the store clerk showed him camera footage of the incident, the affidavit said.
Nine minutes later, while the Cushing officer was talking to the store clerk, Payne County Sheriff’s Deputy Nick Myers advised that he had a car and suspect matching the description — on a traffic stop on Highway 18, north of 44th Street, the affidavit said.
“Deputy Myers said he also noted the vehicle’s registration was expired before initiating his traffic stop. Deputy Myers also advised there was a pistol in plain view of the vehicle,” the affidavit said.
“Catron said he understood his rights and requested an attorney,” the affidavit said.
“I was able to positively identify Catron as the suspect, as he was wearing the same clothing as the suspect in the footage viewed earlier,” the Cushing officer wrote in his affidavit.
When a passenger in the car was questioned by Cushing Police Officer Carson Watts, “With your rights in mind, do you know if Catron has a gun?” the passenger responded, “No, I don’t think he has a gun,” the affidavit said.
The other Cushing officer saw five bags of chips in the car and a “black pistol resting in between the driver’s seat and driver’s door,” that was an air pellet pistol, the affidavit said.
In addition to pleading guilty Friday to the reduced charge of second-degree burglary, Catron also admitted that he was driving under suspension at the time of the Dec. 27 incident.
Catron also admitted Friday that a month earlier on Nov. 4, he drove under suspension at Maple and Highland in Cushing the same car — which had an expired license tag and a decal assigned to another tag number.
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