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MONROE, N.C. (AP) — A 9-year-old entrepreneur whose lemonade stand was robbed of $17 has since received more than $200 in donations and a new ride-on lawn mower worth $1,100.
The young salesman, whose first name is Mark, told sheriff's deputies he was held up at gunpoint Saturday while selling lemonade at a traffic circle not far from the entrance to his community in Monroe, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) southeast of Charlotte.
Investigators were still searching Tuesday for a male suspect, said Union County Sheriff's Office spokesman Tony Underwood.
A business card that one customer collected from Mark's lemonade stand states he also works as a lawn mower, dog walker and professional ring bearer.
Home-improvement chain Lowe's gave the boy a new, $1,100 riding mower on Monday after spokeswoman Sarah Lively said officials at the company's Charlotte-area headquarters saw news reports about the robbery.
A person who responded to a text sent to the telephone number listed on Mark's business card said Tuesday that the boy was selling lemonade again Sunday at the community pool and collected $256 in donations alone. The person, who identified herself as Mark's mother, declined interview requests from The Associated Press on Tuesday and declined to give the family's last name.
Investigators planned to meet Wednesday with an information technology specialist to download what might be on surveillance cameras outside the community club house, Underwood said.
"We're hoping to get that tip that might help us identify" the suspect, he said.
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