Armed Robber Flees Santa Ana Store With Cash Register
SANTA ANA (CBSLA.com) — Police in Santa Ana are trying to identify man suspected of armed robbery who ran off with a store's cash register.
Police say the man walked into the RA Food Store in the 2200 block of South Main Street about 10 p.m. Feb. 2.
The man pulled out a black semiautomatic handgun and demanded cash.
KCAL9's Stacey Butler reported the man was impatient and didn't wait for the store owner to open the register.
Police said the man grabbed the register and fled.
"He showed me the gun, and I just surprised," said store owner Rafeka Ashraf, who was working behind the counter.
"He says, 'Give me the register,' " Ashraf recalled.
Ashraf spoke only to Butler in an interview that is Only On 9.
Police are concerned that someone this brazen could be very dangerous.
"The way he did this brazen act of ripping the cash register off the counter. That concerns us, and we want to stop it before something bad happens," Santa Ana police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna said.
Ashraf says she ran to the back of the store to call 911.
She told Butler she is concerned about the store's littlest customers.
"I'm telling them, it's dark, you need to go home. Mama can't protect you because you never know who's coming with what."
The suspect is described as Latino, 28-32, from 6 feet to 6-foot-7, and 170-180 pounds.
The man suspected as the robber has a medium build, brown hair and brown eyes, a goatee and a medium brown complexion, police said.
At the time of the robbery, authorities said the man was wearing a red, long-sleeved button down shirt, gray beanie, black jeans, black sneakers.
Anyone who can identify the suspect is asked to call detective Adrian Silva at (714) 245-8545 or Orange County Crime Stoppers at 1-855-TIP-OCCS.
