Man with machete demanded jewelry from victim inside South MS gas station, police say

A 22-year-old was arrested Friday after police said he walked into a Gulfport gas station holding a machete and demanded jewelry from someone inside.

Joshua Paxton Ward faces one count of armed robbery, Gulfport Police said in a news release on Monday.

Officers were notified just before 1 p.m. Friday of an earlier armed robbery at the Chevron gas station in the 1700 block of Kelly Avenue, Sgt. Jason Ducre said.

Witnesses reported Ward laughed after the robbery and “shouted obscenities” at people inside the gas station before he fled, Ducre said.

Police said officers arrested Ward shortly after the incident.

He is held in the Harrison County jail on a $500,000 bond.

This story was originally published August 12, 2024 at 11:32 AM.