A Fayetteville man attempted to rob a woman at gunpoint Friday night while pretending to be a pizza delivery man for Gusano’s Pizza, according to police.
Matthew Green, 22, was arrested Friday on suspicion of felony robbery and loitering. He was released Saturday on $3,500 bond, according to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
A woman living at The Links apartment complex in Fayetteville called police Friday night to report a burglary in progress. She said a man, later identified as Green, appeared at her door saying he was trying to find someone who ordered a pizza from Gusano’s, according to a preliminary report from the Washington County Prosecutor’s Office.
After Green asked to come in to get a drink of water, the woman said she pushed the pizza back out at him and closed the door because she was frightened. She called her boyfriend to come over and also called her children’s grandmother to ask her to pick up the children to keep them safe, the report states.
Responding officers did not find the man or the pizza.
Police said the woman called again two hours later, saying Green was back at the apartment complex with a gun and that her boyfriend had him detained. Responding officers arrived and arrested the suspect.
Police said they found a semi-automatic black pellet gun in his possession.
Green allegedly told police in an interview that he was only at the complex to visit a friend. He also said he had a pistol because he is an outdoorsman who likes to shoot things. Green told officers he had been in the woods before visiting the complex, according to the preliminary report.
The suspect initially told police he worked for Gusano’s and had tried to deliver a pizza to the complex two hours earlier. He later recanted the statement, saying he was not an employee and was there to buy Roxycodone, a prescription drug, from the woman who called police, the preliminary report states.
Officers confirmed the woman had Roxycodone in her possession, but she said she had a prescription and did not sell them.
Police said in the preliminary report they believe Green attempted to break into the home to steal Roxycodone from the woman at gunpoint.
The suspect later told police in an interview that he was going to the house to rob the woman and had been put up to it by an acquaintance. Green said the acquaintance told him to deliver the pizza, kick open the door and mace the woman, according to the preliminary report.
The report states Green had pepper spray in his possession.
