The Ponce de Leon Avenue Kroger was robbed late Tuesday afternoon by a strawberry-pigtailed young woman whose arrest information lists her as standing 5-foot-2, and weighing 115 pounds.





But what Allison Slaton, 20, lacks in physical size, she made up for with some sizable threats in allegedly committing the crime. In making off with $463 from the store's pharmacy around 5:45 p.m., Slaton first presented a handwritten note to a Kroger employee behind the counter.

According to the Atlanta police report, it began, "Put your hands up on the counter where I can see them. Relax. Be quiet. Do not alert security. Cooperate and no one will get hurt. Put all your money and opiates in this bag. My associate is somewhere in the store with a hostage. If you do not comply with these wishes he will kill them." The suspect, who dropped the note while exiting the store with the cash, turned left out of the store and headed toward a nearby entrance to the Atlanta BeltLine's Eastside Trail and adjoining Ponce City Market construction site.

Atlanta police, including those on BeltLine patrol, were on the scene quickly and witnesses described the woman as wearing a blue hoodie, yellow plaid scarf, black pants and dark framed sunglasses covering her face. Police were to able to ascertain that the suspect had entered the nearby mix-use apartment building, Ford Factory Lofts, that shares the same parking with the Kroger at 725 Ponce. After observing building security images, police were able to arrest Slaton in an apartment.

A search warrant of the apartment resulted in the arrest of two additional individuals.

Slaton, of Atlanta, was charged with robbery, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, and possession of heroin and taken to Fulton County jail.