Mount Airy police arrested a man Monday after he allegedly robbed two convenience stores in the city of undisclosed sums of money.

Keith Antonio Rawley, 42, of 153 Webster Road, is charged with armed robbery and common-law robbery in connection with incidents at Neighbors stores at 308 S. Main St. and 405 W. Pine St., according to Lt. Jeff Inman.

The first robbery was reported around 6:15 a.m. Monday at the store on South Main Street, where Rawley appeared to be armed, said Detective Tim Hodges. “He insinuated he had a gun,” Hodges said.

Inman explained that the man put one hand into a pocket and raised it to a store employee to give the impression he had a weapon.

The second robbery at the West Pine store was reported about 12:30 p.m. In that incident, the suspect is said to have entered the business and stood at the corner of the counter while waiting for an opportune moment to reach into the cash register and grab currency, Inman said. A clerk at that store said the robber escaped with only a small sum of cash.

A customer there was shoved by the fleeing robber, according to Inman. “He wasn’t injured. He just fell down,” said the officer, who added that no injuries resulted from either robbery.

Based on information from the first incident, police were sure that the same suspect committed both crimes. “By the surveillance tapes and everything, it was the exact same guy,” Inman said.

After the second robbery, Rawley allegedly ditched clothing behind a business on Franklin Street, a coat and hat that officers were able to recover as evidence.

Police continued to build leads and gather information that led to Rawley’s capture late Monday afternoon. He was charged with armed robbery in the first incident because he appeared to have a weapon, and with the lesser offense of common-law robbery in the second which involved no weapon. Both violations are felonies, Inman said.

He said that authorities were hoping to make an arrest before dark, because it was feared other convenience stores might be hit given the pattern of what already had occurred Monday.

Rawley was expected to be taken to the Surry County Jail later Monday.

Contact Tom Joyce at tjoyce@mtairynews.com, or at 719-1924.