ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – A man and woman accused of holding up the Publix store at World Golf Village on Saturday afternoon were arrested after high-speed pursuit on Interstate 95.
A clerk said a man wearing a black jogging suit with black gloves walked up to her at the customer service counter at 3:15 p.m. and said he was an armed military officer and told her to give him money.
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As the robber left with an unknown amount of cash, a store manager followed him out the door and saw him to get into a black Nissan Murano with a woman in the driver's seat and they sped toward I-95.
Deputies searching for the suspect vehicle made a traffic stop on a similar vehicle going southbound on I-95 near of state Road 207. While that was not the suspect vehicle, they said the robbers' SUV tried to get around the traffic stop and a pursuit began.
Deputies deployed "stop sticks" in the area of state Road 206, flattening the fleeing vehicle's tires. Despite flat tires, authorities said the SUV continued to travel at 90 to 100 mph until they exited at the southbound rest area where they taken into without incident.
Deputies said they found a handgun that was thrown out the suspects' window while fleeing. The cash taken from the robbery was recovered from the vehicle.
The pair were identified as George Johnston III and Roxann Kemp.
After they were positively identified by the Publix employees, they were arrested.
Johnston was treated at Flagler Hospital for treatment of a possible diabetic emergency before being booked into the St. Johns County Jail. Kemp was questioned by detectives, then booked into jail.
Both Johnston and Kemp face charges of armed robbery and fleeing and attempting to elude. Additional charges are pending further investigation.