The man who allegedly robbed Family Dollar at gunpoint Sunday morning had his getaway foiled when he realized he locked his keys in his car and then asked police — who were called to the scene to investigate the robbery — for help.

David Benny Dunnavan, 19, has been charged with one count of robbery, a third-degree felony, in the incident.

According to a report from the Silver City Police Department, a Family Dollar employee arrived at the store at 7:30 a.m. and went in and began running his reports. He said he got the deposit from the night before to take to the bank and left the store with the deposit bag in his hand and headed to his car. As he was getting in his car, he noticed a guy running toward him wearing a black sweater, black pants and black shoes. He said the man’s face was covered and all he could see was his eyes. He said the man pointed a gun at him and yelled, “Give me that,” and grabbed the deposit bag from under his arm and took off running east then turned south behind the building. The employee said he then got out of his car and cautiously walked the path the man took and noticed he kept running past the building toward the empty field.

Police viewed the surveillance video and saw a subject run up to a silver car in the parking lot and then run away in an eastbound direction. Police described the subject on the video as a thin male with dark pants, dark shoes, a dark cover over his face and a black Santa hat.

The officer then went to Albertsons where he spoke to the manager and asked if he could view surveillance video from 7 that morning. The video did not show anyone matching that description in the area of Albertsons. But when the officer left the grocery store, he was approached by Dunnavan, who was wearing a black shirt, black pants, and black shoes.

Dunnavan told the officer he had gone jogging and when he returned to his car, noticed he locked his keys and cell phone inside.

Dunnavan told police he arrived at Albertsons at 6 a.m. and ran up the road then turned around and returned about 7:30 a.m. He said he went into Albertsons to call for a locksmith to get his door unlocked but got a voice prompt for an appointment. He said he was living in Tucson and attending Pima Western University. But when police asked the manager of Albertsons if he noticed any cars in the parking lot when he came to work at 7 a.m., he said no. The officer also noticed that Dunnavan’s shoes were not laced up and asked him why he would run in those shoes and he told the officer it was because it was cold and they were thick. Police then viewed the video surveillance from Albertsons at 7:40 a.m. and saw Dunnavan enter the store at 7:46 a.m. and attempt to enter the men’s restroom but found it occupied. He then entered the ladies room and stayed there for a while, then asked a cashier if he could use a cell phone, and then left the store at 8 a.m.

Clothing matching the description of the suspect was recovered underneath one of the rear wheels of Dunnavan’s car. Although not in the report, Silver City Police Chief Ed Reynolds said the money bag with the entire contents of the deposit — $1,551.32 — and the gun, which turned out to be a BB gun, were also recovered in that spot.

Dunnavan had his first appearance in Magistrate Court on Monday via video from the Grant County Detention Center. His hearing was handled by Judge Mark Thomas out of Lordsburg, according to Barry Massey, communications officer with the New Mexico Administrative Office of the Courts, because the Silver City Magistrate Court was closed Monday for data entry.

Dunnavan’s bond was changed from $10,000 cash-only to $10,000 bondable at his hearing, and he remained in the Grant County Detention Center as of Monday evening.

In September, Dunnavan pleaded guilty/no contest to possession of an ounce or less of synthetic marijuana, a petty misdemeanor, from an incident that occurred on July 20. He agreed to pay a fine and fees in that case.

Christine Steele may be reached at [email protected]