BY TOM EMBREY

Senior Writer

Aberdeen police have arrested a Pinehurst man and charged him with the robbery of a convenience store.

Ricky Earl Williams, 40, faces a charge of common law robbery for walking into the store at 2:35 a.m. Friday and demanding money from a store employee, police said.

"He put his hand in his pocket and made the statement we can do this the easy way or the hard way," Deputy Chief Jim Foster said.

Foster said Williams never displayed a weapon or stated he had one. He didn't disguise his identity and he was caught on store surveillance video.

No one was hurt in the incident.

Officers arrested Williams just after 9 a.m.that day at his home. He was jailed under a $10,000 secured bond.