Attempted robbery of highway employee investigated

— Authorities in Little Rock are looking for a man who pulled a gun on an employee outside the headquarters of the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department early Thursday.

The Little Rock Police Department said it happened about 7 a.m. as highway worker Charles Ridge Jr., 55, was walking from the parking lot to the building at 10324 Interstate 30.

According to a police report, a would-be robber approached Ridge with a handgun and ordered him to stop walking. Ridge told police he continued walking backwards with his hands up and eventually ran into the building without handing anything over.

The assailant then left the area and wasn't found Thursday, according to the report.

The would-be robber is described as a black man between 18 and 22 years old who stood about 5-foot-6. He was reportedly wearing a dark hoodie and bluejeans.

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