Watertown police have arrested a man accused of robbing a liquor store at gunpoint and said he admitted to robbing the store to pay off debts.
Police responded to the Pioneer Wine & Liquor Store at 544 Straits Turnpike in Watertown at 8:59 p.m. on Saturday after an employee called 911 to report a robbery.
The robber, who was wearing a mask and rubber gloves and carrying a handgun, ordered the employee to give him all of the money, police said.
Then he racked a round through the gun and a bullet fell on the floor.
The robber then grabbed money and ran out of the store to a neighboring business, police said.
Witnesses reported seeing a man get into a dark colored Honda in the lot of the neighboring McDonalds and said the driver was a bald man in a hoodie.
Police began investigating and identified Gregory Tunstall, 35, of Waterbury, as the suspected robber.
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Police found him on Monday morning and said he confessed to robbing the liquor store to pay off debts and said he racked a round through the gun to scare the employee.
Tunstall was charged with robbery in the first degree, burglary in the first degree, larceny in the second degree and threatening in the second degree.
He is being held on a $250,000 bond and is expected to appear in Waterbury Superior Court on Tuesday.
Police continue to investigate and said they have the getaway vehicle and are working to identify the driver.
Police said they are still looking for the gun.
