A man suspected in a series of business robberies in Broome County apparently targeted a Town of Dickinson business.

Authorities say the Mirabito store at 53 Downs Avenue was robbed Thursday morning by a man who claimed he had a gun.

Captain Kathleen Newcomb of the Broome County Sheriff's Office said the heist was reported at 9:13 a.m.

Newcomb said no weapon was seen. She said the man grabbed the clerk by the neck and forcibly took some cash.

The suspect ran from the store on Downs Avenue toward the city of Binghamton. He then was observed cutting through backyards on Frances, Columbus and Merrill streets.

Police set up a perimeter in the neighborhood. Officers and a dog searched the area but were unable to find the suspect.

DARNELL WATSON (Photo: Broome County Sheriff's Office)
DARNELL WATSON (Photos: Broome County Sheriff's Office)
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On Wednesday, Binghamton police announced they were seeking 29-year-old Darnell Watson as a "person of interest" in a string of knife-point robberies in the city.

Newcomb said a witness to the latest incident at the Mirabito store knows Watson and positively identified him as the suspect.

Newcomb said the robber seems to be "very brazen" and "pretty emboldened," noting he has been striking stores in broad daylight.

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