ST. CLOUD -- A St. Cloud man is allegedly connected to three robberies in the area.

Most recently, on Friday, December 23rd St. Cloud Police were called to the Knotty Pine Liquor store in the 10 block of Wilson Avenue Northeast, shortly after 6:30 p.m. after a hold up alarm went off.

Officers determined that a man entered the store, showed a handgun, demanded money from the clerk and left on foot with an undisclosed amount of cash. The clerk described the man as a black man, about 5 feet 10 inches, wearing a white shirt over a black hooded sweatshirt, white gloves and a white bandanna over his face.

Police set up a perimeter around the store and found a suspect, 26- year-old Lavonta Lofton. Assistant Police Chief Jeff Oxton says officers found Lofton with an undisclosed amount of cash and loaded 9mm handgun that had been reported stolen in St. Cloud. Loften was arrested and taken to the Benton County Jail. He's being held on possible charges of possessing a stolen firearm and aggravated robbery.

Oxton says, since Lofton's arrest, investigators have been trying to determine if he was connected to any other similar robberies in the area. Oxton says investigative efforts have led to additional potential robbery charges on Lofton for robberies that took place in St. Cloud Super Americas on August 31st and December 11th.

Both of the Super America robbery charges will be sent through Stearns County, in addition to Lofton's Benton County charges.

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