Chilhowie Police looking for robbery suspect

The Chilhowie Police Department is searching for a suspect who allegedly attacked a gas station clerk with a knife during a robbery attempt early Saturday morning. Chilhowie police say the attempted robbery took place at around 12:45 a.m. Saturday at an Exxon gas station on Whitetop Road. The official report said a Hispanic man entered the store and asked the clerk for assistance. When the clerk walked away, the suspect reportedly attacked him with a knife. The two fought for control of the knife until a witness saw the commotion and assisted the clerk with disarming the suspect. The suspect fled traveling toward Highway 11 in a black Hyundai Elantra with a royal blue passenger door. The vehicle had a Massachusetts license plate. The store clerk was treated and released from Johnston Memorial Hospital. The Chilhowie Police Department is continuing to investigate with assistance from the Virginia State Police and Smyth County Sheriff’s Office. Anyone with information on the incident or the suspect’s identity is asked to contact police immediately.