Jefferson County authorities say that a man held out a bullet in his hand and demanded cash from a clerk at a gas station.

Sheriff's Lt. Gary Higginbotham said Timothy Sweeney walked into a BP gas station around 5:15 a.m. Sunday south of Festus wearing a yellow hooded sweatshirt and cloth skull mask. Police say Sweeney approached the clerk and held out the bullet in his left hand, claiming he had a weapon in his pocket.

Higginbotham said police are unsure if Sweeney actually had a weapon.

According to police, Sweeney fled toward a wooded area after being handed the cash. Sweeney was eventually tracked down and arrested.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that Sweeney was charged Monday with first-degree robbery and is being held on $30,000 bail. It is unclear if Sweeney has an attorney.

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