Suffolk police are crediting an observant Portsmouth detective with catching a suspect in a Suffolk robbery on Tuesday evening.

According to police reports, a man approached a cashier at the Food Lion in the 1000 block of Portsmouth Boulevard in Suffolk just before 6:30 p.m., and then produced a knife and stole money from the cash register.

Witnesses saw the suspect get into a white Chevrolet Caprice, and they were able to provide police with a partial license plate number. Suffolk police then relayed the descriptions of the suspect and vehicle to surrounding jurisdictions.

Several hours later, having received a notice to be on the lookout for the Suffolk suspect, Portsmouth Police Detective K. Saucer checked the parking lot of the Food Lion store in the 1200 block of London Boulevard in Portsmouth and found a vehicle that matched the description provided by Suffolk police.

Officers from Portsmouth’s police department entered the store and found the suspect, who was armed with a knife when he was located, according to Suffolk spokesperson Debbie George.

Justin Paul Woodington, 23, of Virginia Beach was charged with one count of armed robbery. He is being held in Western Tidewater Regional Jail without bond.