DPS arrests one after store manager assaulted

SIKESTON -- An Illinois man was arrested after reportedly assaulting a store manager in Sikeston.

At about 12:10 p.m. Friday, Sikeston Department of Public Safety officers were called to the Rhodes Convenience Store, 535 N. Main St., in reference to an assault.

According to Capt. Jim McMillen, DPS public information officer, the store manager reported a man entered the store asking for five cartons of Newport cigarettes. The manager stated she had already received a report from Rhodes Security about a man trying to purchase large amounts of cigarettes with a fraudulent credit device.

The manager was able to match the last name provided by Rhodes Security to the name on the card.

As she was verifying the information, she stated, the man, later identified as Ronald E. Covington, 53, of Chicago, became upset and came behind the counter. She said Covington grabbed her by the arms, threw her against a wall and grabbed his identification. He then left without purchasing anything.

The store manager, who had minor injuries to her arms, provided officers with a description of the car.

McMillen said the description was broadcast to neighboring law enforcement agencies and at about 1:30 p.m. Scott City Police reported Covington was in their custody.

When a DPS officers went to pick him up, Covington "admitted there was an altercation but denied assaulting the store manager," McMillen said.

Covington as of press time was charged with possession of a controlled substance and remained in the Scott County Jail with a cash or surety bond set at $25,000.