A man was arrested Tuesday morning on suspicion of stealing toys from the Carrs store at 13th Avenue and Gambell Street and pointing a plastic gun at people in the supermarket.
Police charged Mandallo Shearrod, 25, with assault, robbery and theft -- all felonies -- and a misdemeanor charge of trespassing
The man came into the store at about 9:40 a.m. with a bag and started to load it with about $250 worth of toys, including a Hello Kitty toy, said Jennifer Castro, Anchorage police spokeswoman.
When a clerk told him that he couldn't use his own bag, the man pulled out what the clerk thought was a gun, she said.
Another staff member recognized the man and told him he was trespassing, police said.
The man pointed the pellet gun at the clerks and started to threaten them, according to police.
The gun, an Airsoft pistol, resembled a subcompact Glock pistol, said Kevin Armstrong, senior patrol officer with Anchorage police.
The man ran a block away from the store but circled back. When he saw police, he threw down the gun and surrendered, Armstrong said.
When he dropped the gun, police realized it was a pellet gun.
"We treat it like a gun," Armstrong said.
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By BENJAMIN S. BRASCH