A 26-year-old Athens man was arrested by Athens police Monday night and charged with the robbery and shooting of 28-year-old Mikia Wood.

Theodore Roosevelt Gaines, of 2101 Stanford St., Athens, was in Limestone County Jail Tuesday on charges of first-degree assault and first-degree robbery.

Lt.-Detective Floyd Johnson said Gaines turned himself in to police Monday night admitting to robbing and shooting Wood, 28, of 2115 Aretha St., Athens. Gaines told investigators he tossed the gun on the side of the road in south Limestone County off Interstate 565.

“We searched that area of the county for quite some time Monday night and even used the canine unit from Huntsville to help,” Johnson said. “We did not find the weapon, but plan to go back down there today (Tuesday) to continue the search.”

Police searched an area from Raceway on Alabama 20 to Mooresville Road, Johnson said.

Wood was robbed, pistol whipped and shot in an incident between Aretha and Stanford streets Monday in the early afternoon. He was treated at Athens-Limestone Hospital of head wounds he received from the pistol whipping and for a gunshot wound to the foot.

Johnson said police received calls shortly before 1 p.m. Monday from residents of Aretha Street and Stanford Street areas reporting that a man had been shot.

Wood told investigators that a man who he thought was a friend got into his car with him and asked to borrow some money. Wood said he told the man he didn’t have any money and the man pulled a gun and hit him over the head with it several times. He said he struggled to get out of the car and the man followed him and shot him in the foot.

Police said the man apparently used a 9 mm handgun.

“The victim ran to Stanford Street to get help,” Johnson said. “He was hit several times in the head with the gun. He said the suspect told him that he was going to take whatever money he had and then started hitting him.”