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With the help of the Knox County Sheriff's Office, Alcoa police detectives nabbed a Powell man in connection with Monday's armed robbery at Long John Silver's in Alcoa.

Dennis Wayne Ross, 34, Campground Way, Powell, was charged by Alcoa detectives on Wednesday night with aggravated robbery. He was being held in lieu of a $100,000 bond at the Blount County Jail.

Alcoa Police Detective Kris Sanders said leads began coming in on the case when local TV stations aired video surveillance of the robbery on Monday night. The robbery occurred on at 9:10 a.m. Monday at Long John Silver's, 325 S. Calderwood Street, Alcoa.

A 40-year-old female Long John Silver's employee reported that a man called the business and identified himself as the general manager. She said the man called on two occasions, asking her to let him in the business. She opened the back door, and was met by a man with a gun.

The man demanded that the woman give him the deposits out of the safe, and walked her to the office area of the restaurant. After giving him the money, she said he told her to get inside of a walk-in cooler. While he fled, she called 9-1-1 from her cell phone.

Sanders said two Long John Silver's managers recognized the man in video surveillance to be Ross, a former employee of a Long John Silver's in Knoxville. Ross was employed by the restaurant from February 2003 until January 2008. A regional manager called detectives and gave them Ross' name.

Witnesses identify Ross

Sanders said they pulled up Ross' photo and put him in a photo line-up, which led to others identifying him.

An employee of Firestone Complete Auto Care, located near the restaurant, identified Ross as the man pacing around the restaurant's parking lot prior to the robbery. Employees of the restaurant also identified Ross as the robber.

Sanders said they took out a warrant to charge Ross on Wednesday afternoon, and are still following up on leads on a potential accomplice in the robbery.

"Information has come into us from additional confidential informants that may lead to additional arrests in the case," Sanders said.

Sanders said detectives contacted Assistant Chief Robert Sexton, of the Knox County Sheriff's Office, and asked for their assistance in apprehending the Powell man. He Ross was considered "armed and dangerous" and is also a possible suspect in two other Long John Silver's robberies that occurred in Knoxville.

"(Sexton) contacted the (Knox County) sheriff and told him what we needed," Sanders said. "He organized a group of six or seven SWAT officers and we met with Knox County Sheriff's deputies at 5 p.m. at the Food City on Clinton Highway at Emory Road."

Ross apprehended

Alcoa detectives and Knox County Sheriff's deputies located Ross' vehicle in the Food City parking lot. They set up surveillance on the car and began watching for Ross.

"Knox County deputies made initial contact with him while he was walking along Old Clinton Highway," Sanders said.

Detectives obtained permission from Ross to search his residence and his vehicle. The clothing worn in the robbery was not found, nor was the weapon. But Sanders said they did find some items of interest in his vehicle, including three letters that Ross wrote.

Sanders said Ross -- who has a lengthy criminal history of thefts, bad checks and driving offenses -- refused to talk to detectives and wanted to hire an attorney. Ross is required to appear at 1:30 p.m. Sept. 8 in Blount County General Sessions Court to face the aggravated robbery charge.

Sanders said Alcoa Police Department was grateful for the help from the Knox County Sheriff's Office. He said they were impressed with the deputies and the professionalism of the agency.

"Knox County really helped us out big time," Sanders said. "They stayed with us the whole time. They kept at least two officers with us until we finished our searches."