CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- An off-duty Kanawha County sheriff's deputy helped thwart a robbery Sunday in Elkview.

Deputy W.S. Hunter was putting gas in his personal car at the Little General store in Elkview about 9:30 p.m. Sunday when he noticed a white Chevrolet Malibu pull up without license plates, according to Lt. Bryan Stover of the Kanawha County Sheriff's Department.

Stover said one man got out of the car, pulled his hood over his head and walked inside while two others waited in the car. A few seconds later, the man allegedly came running out of the store with two cases of beer in hand.

Stover said the female store clerk tried to stop the man, but was punched and kicked for her effort. He said the man allegedly dropped the beer and hopped into the car, which then sped off.

Stover said Hunter followed the car and called 911. Hunter watched the car pull into a driveway on Pinch Road and waited for Deputy B.K. Howery to arrive. The two deputies then walked up to the house and found the alleged driver, 39-year-old David Brian Fields.

Fields was arrested and charged with being an accessory to robbery. The other two suspects fled on foot before Howery arrived.