She used a hammer in a robbery police say. Now she's behind bars

A woman has been arrested in the case of an attempted robbery in which a hammer was used as the stick up weapon.

On May 22 a surveillance camera at a BP gas station on Fontaine Road captured video of a woman swinging a hammer at the store clerk's head. The suspect entered the station, demanded money, and when the clerk refused a melee ensued. The clerk took a punch and suffered an upper body wound from the hammer according to authorities. The clerk snatched the hammer away from the suspect causing the would be thief to run away.

Richland County Sheriff's Department's Fugitive Team arrested Kairra Symone Monroe, 18, for the crime on June 14.

Following the scuffle iniside the store, authorities say Monroe ran into a second victim and demanded money. When the person said they had no cash, Monroe is alleged to have grabbed the victims wallet and run off.

Monroe is charged with attempted armed robbery, strong armed robbery, and assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature. If convicted of all three charges Monroe could face up to 55 years in prison.

Monroe was a regular customer of the BP gas station on Fontaine Road according to police.

This story was originally published June 16, 2018 at 8:57 AM with the headline "She used a hammer in a robbery police say. Now she's behind bars."