Athens police believe a 32-year-old woman robbed the Athens J-Mart store on U.S. 72 at the cloverleaf early Tuesday because she needed money to support a drug habit.

“We know she had been buying drugs all night,” said Capt. Marty Bruce. “Our investigation shows that she robbed to get money for drugs.”

Bobbie Jean Morris, of 30408 Wooley Springs Road, Athens, was in the Limestone County Jail Tuesday charged with first-degree robbery.

She is accused of entering the store at 3:40 a.m., pointing something that resembled a gun at the cashier and tellingthe cashier to, “give me the money or I will kill you.”

Bruce said a woman came inside the store earlier in the night and asked the cashier if she would take a $10 check for gasoline. The cashier refused the check and the woman left, but returned later to ask if she could use the bathroom inside the store.

“When she came out of the bathroom she pointed something that looked like a gun at the cashier. She grabbed the money that the cashier pitched at her and left the store,” Bruce said.

While investigators at the store were questioning the cashier, a van resembling the one the woman left in drove by the front of the store and the cashier pointed it out to police.

“Our officers got it stopped, and the person driving the van gave out information about the possible robber. We went to Plato Jones Street and arrested Morris at a home there.”

Investigators said none of the money taken in the robbery was recovered.

Bruce said investigators were told that Morris had been buying crack cocaine throughout the night Monday and may have used money taken in the robbery to purchase additional drugs.