Robbery suspect arrested before leaving town

UPDATE: Police made a quick arrest after a man with a handgun robbed a dollar store Tuesday evening in Iowa City.

Officers were called to Dollar Tree, 1646 Sycamore St., around 9 p.m. when the armed robbery was reported. Employees told them the man convinced one of the employees to come back to a bathroom, then pulled the gun. He then demanded money from the other employee, police said.

Surveillance video from a business in the area showed the suspect throwing away cell phones he had taken from the robbery victims, police said.

By midnight, police tracked the suspect to the corner of Court and Dubuque streets. He was waiting there to board a bus to leave town, police said.

Anthony R. Martin, 46, of St. Paul, Minn., was arrested on suspicion of first-degree robbery, carrying weapons and possession of a firearm as a felon. Police said he had a handgun with him and the same amount of cash taken during the robbery.

Sgt. Denise Brotherton said Martin confessed to investigators and told them he had been planning the crime since he came to Iowa City last month. According to his statement, he bought the gun in Chicago.

Court records show Martin was convicted of first-degree robbery in 2004 and attempted aggravated robbery in 1994 in Minnesota.

If his statements about his criminal history are verified, Brotherton said it's likely Martin would face a stiffer penalty.

Martin was being held at the Johnson County Jail Wednesday on a $50,000 cash-only bond.