A man wearing a blue Spider-Man hoodie displayed a gun and demanded money at a west Asheville business Saturday night, according to police. The robbery happened at a business in the 400 block of Haywood Road, and officers are now asking the public to help track him down.
Police said the suspect appeared to be an ordinary shopper at first, browsing the store and bringing several items to the checkout counter before pulling out a handgun and demanding money from the cash register, according to WYFF. Officers said they responded to the scene around 10:06 p.m., according to FOX Carolina. Upon arrival, officers spoke with the victim and reviewed surveillance video, the station reported.
The most distinctive detail investigators have released so far is the suspect's clothing. Police described him as a bearded man wearing a blue hoodie with a Spider-Man face on the front, per the same account. WYFF reported that the hoodie bore the phrase “Friendly Neighborhood Crime Watch” printed across it — a wink to the comic-book hero that now doubles as a identifying mark for investigators.
WLOS Report Describes the Haywood Road Robbery
WLOS reported that the Haywood Road robbery occurred Saturday, Oct. 24, just after 10 p.m., and described the suspect as a bearded Black man wearing a blue Spider-Man hoodie.
Asheville police have not identified the business involved in the Saturday robbery, and no information has been released about whether a suspect has been identified, an arrest made, or how much cash may have been taken.
How to Submit a Tip
Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 828-252-1110 or submit an anonymous tip using the TIP2APD smartphone application, which can be found by searching Asheville PD in the app store, according to FOX Carolina. Tips can also be submitted anonymously by texting TIP2APD to 847411.
The search comes months after Asheville police reported that two adults and two juveniles were arrested in connection with a separate armed robbery and assault case in the city, according to FOX Carolina. Citywide, reported violent crime had dropped from 596 incidents in 2024 to 453 in 2025, according to Asheville Police Department data cited by the Citizen Times in a February report.
