Gas station robberies cause Des Moines schools to lock down

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Police say a Des Moines woman robbed two gas stations after threatening she had a gun, which caused two schools in the area to briefly lock down.

Jennifer Joan Parker is charged with first-degree and second-degree robbery. Police say she told store clerks she was carrying a gun, though she didn't display one. Authorities say she fled in a vehicle after stealing the money on Monday.

A Des Moines school district spokesman says a high school and an elementary school were locked down after initial reports indicated Parker was driving in a vehicle toward one of them.

He tells the Des Moines Register the lockdowns were lifted within minutes after school officials learned Parker was driving in the opposite direction of the schools.

Parker is being held at the Polk County Jail. Online jail records didn't list an attorney for her.