A Peoria man will spend the next 25 years in prison for robbing a south Peoria Dollar General with a machete in 2023.

Rufus Sanders, 61, pleaded guilty Wednesday to armed robbery and was sentenced to 25 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.

On July 18, 2023, police responded to an armed robbery at the Dollar General at 4003 Southwest Adams Street. An employee reported that a man wearing a white mask and wielding a machete entered the store and demanded money from the register.

The robber walked behind the counter, took approximately $344 in cash, and fled. The entire incident was captured on surveillance video.

During the investigation, detectives recovered the robber’s discarded mask nearby. DNA analysis identified Sanders as the suspect.

Sanders was arrested in January 20

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