SANGERVILLE – The pickax handle used in a strong-arm robbery on Sunday night at Robinson’s Mobile Station and Convenience Store has been recovered by police.

The wooden handle was brandished during the robbery by a man, wearing a white pillow case with two holes cut out for the eyes, who demanded money from a night clerk, according to Lt. Robert Young of the Piscataquis County Sheriff’s Department.

Young said the robber got away with an undisclosed amount of money.

The officer said Tuesday that the recovery of the handle was a significant lead in the investigation, although the department still has no suspects.

The robber was said to be 5 feet, 6 inches tall and is of medium build. He was wearing a green- and white-checked, quilted-type shirt, dark-colored jeans and a black watch-cap over the pillow case on his head.

The clerk told police he was preparing to close the store and was cashing up when the robber appeared next to the counter.

The robber banged the pickax handle on the counter and said, “Give me the [expletive] money,” according to the clerk.

The clerk said he opened the register and gave the robber the bills as ordered. The robber then demanded that the clerk get down on the floor.

Young said police are reviewing surveillance tapes taken from the store. He said Tuesday that deputies had canvassed the neighborhood to gather information about the case.