By David Howell
Panola County authorities have joined the Yalobusha County Sheriff’s Dept. and Oakland police in the search for a man believed responsible for an early Monday morning robbery at the Exxon station in Oakland.

Monday’s robbery appears similar to a January robbery.

Oakland Chief Russ Smith reported a gunman entered the Exxon store, located just off I-55 at 3:26 a.m., pointed his gun at the clerk and demanded cash.

Smith said the gunman took almost $300 in cash and Newport 100 cigarettes valued at $236.
The man was in the store for  almost seven minutes and fired one shot into the floor as he was  leaving.

During the January robbery, two armed gunmen entered the store. Both men were covered and the pictures did not help identify the suspects.

This time one of the suspects is believed to have entered the store  shortly before the robbery, at 3:19 a.m., giving authorities a good  look at his face.

Smith is urging anyone who may recognize this man to contact the  Oakland Police Department at 623-8668.