A man was charged in connection with an aggravated robbery at a hardware store in Alton, according to the Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office.

The sheriff's office said deputies responded to Los Pinos Hardware Store, located at the 10700 block of Conway Avenue, on Thursday at around 1:45 p.m.

Deputies spoke with the store clerk who said a man, identified as 20-year-old Gael Fernandez, entered the store and showed her a message on his cellphone. The message said "this is a robbery" and Fernandez stated he had a gun, according to the sheriff's office.

The sheriff's office said the clerk was scared due to Fernandez having his other hand in his sweater pocket. The clerk moved away from the register at which point Fernandez jumped over the counter and took the money.

Fernandez ran from the store but shortly after was detained by store employees and a nearby deputy constable, according to the sheriff's office.

When deputies arrived, they took Fernandez into custody and recovered the stolen money. Though Fernandez claimed to have a gun, he was found to be in possession of a hammer only, according to the sheriff's office.

The sheriff's office said investigators spoke with Fernandez, who admitted to the robbery. Fernandez was arrested on charges of robbery and taken to the Hidalgo County Jail.

Fernandez was arraigned on Friday and issued a $40,000 bond. He remains in custody at the Hidalgo County Adult Detention Center.

The investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with any information in connection with the robbery is urged to contact the Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office at 956-383-8114 or the Hidalgo County Crime Stoppers at 956-668-8477.