A man armed with a rifle robbed a gas station in La Mesa early Saturday morning, demanding cash and cigarettes from a clerk.
According to the La Mesa Police Department (LMPD), an unknown man walked into an AM/PM gas station at 3775 Massachusetts Ave. just before 1:30 a.m. He was carrying a rifle, similar to an assault rifle, investigators said.
A clerk behind the counter said the suspect pointed the rifle at him and a co-worker and demanded money. The clerk immediately handed the man more than $200 from the drawer. The suspect then demanded a box of cigarettes before fleeing on foot from the store.
The rifle-toting suspect was last seen running eastbound on Waite Drive.
Officers searched surrounding areas for the suspect – both by ground and helicopter – but were not able to locate him. As of Saturday morning, the robbery suspect remained at large.
The LMPD described him as a light-skinned African American man in his 20s, approximately 5-foot-9 with a thin build. He wore a blue and gray hooded sweatshirt, jeans and a baseball cap during the robbery. To disguise himself, he wore dark sunglasses and had the hood of his sweatshirt pulled over his head, police said.
No one was injured in the incident. The investigation is ongoing and anyone with information should call Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-TIPS.
