A 64-year-old man who told Boardman Police that he tried to rob a gas station to pay for a motel room spent the night in the Mahoning County jail instead.

Police converged on the Midlothian Avenue Speedway around 6 p.m. Wednesday after getting a 9-1-1 call that the business was being robbed.

Coming out of the store, police say they found Palmer Chatman III of Boardman holding an open can of Olde English 800 beer.

Chatman was ordered to the ground at gunpoint and handcuffed.

Police spoke to the store clerk who told them that after using the bathroom, Chatman asked if the store had cameras. To which the clerk replied “Yes”.

Then, according to the clerk, Chatman picked up the can of beer and an oil funnel from the store.

She said Chatman covered his face with the funnel and told her, “Give men all the money. This is a robbery”.

Chatman pointed to his waistband as if he had a gun, according to the clerk.

Just then a customer came into the store and the clerk told him to leave because they were being robbed.

Before the customer could leave, Chatman allegedly told him “Give men everything you got.”

The customer reached into his wallet and said he handed Chatman $15.

While the suspect was allegedly robbing the customer, the clerk says she grabbed all the money from the cash register and ran from the store, calling 9-1-1.

The customer told police that he asked the robber if he could leave the store and the suspect said ok.

Police say that in addition to the beer, Chatman grabbed a pack of Newport cigarettes from the counter before trying to leave just as officers arrived.

According to the police report, officers confiscated the cigarettes, beer, and $15 as evidence.

After reading Chatman his rights, Police say the suspect told them he was having a bad day and tried to rob the gas station to get money to pay for a motel room.

Chatman said he didn't have a gun and didn't get any money from the store.

Chatman was booked into jail on two counts of aggravated robbery. He’s due in court Thursday afternoon.