A Salem man was arrested for attempting to rob three businesses in Lawrence, Mass., brandishing the casing for the cargo cover from his SUV like a bazooka during one attempt.

According to Lawrence Police Chief John Romero, Steven Conde, 28, of 3 Joseph Road, Salem, was distraught over splitting up with his wife and family, and made the robberies as a last act of desperation before doing something more drastic.

“He made it sound like he just wanted to end it all,” said Romero of police interviews with Conde.

According to police, Conde attempted to rob three stores within one square mile of each other. All of the robbery attempts took place within about half an hour, police said.

After the first call, dispatchers received several calls of a man trying to rob stores with a bazooka.

Romero said Conde was using the case for his canvas cover, which is long and cylindrical in shape.

The owner of the first store he went into charged Conde with a knife he was cutting boxes with when Conde entered the store, the cargo cover spool resting on his shoulder. Conde fled, and the owner was able to grab the “bazooka” as he ran toward his vehicle.

A second robbery attempt at small grocery store was thwarted when a clerk ignored Conde’s demands for cash, and he left. Conde finally got some money at his next stop when he threatened the female employee into opening the cash register. He got about $300, according to police.

However, Conde told police during questioning, he threw the bag of money out the window as he drove from the scene when he heard police sirens behind him and became “paranoid.”

Police found Conde’s SUV at a local fast food restaurant in Lawrence, and arrested Conde with no pursuit or struggle, Romero said.

Conde told police he was trying to get the money to buy enough heroin to overdose on and die, said Romero.

Police charged Conde with three counts of armed robbery. He is being held in jail on $50,000 cash and has a probable cause hearing scheduled in Lawrence District Court on Friday, July 25.