Man punches store clerk during gas station robbery
Washtenaw County Sheriff’s deputies are looking for a man who robbed a Speedway gas station just before midnight, punching a store clerk in the process.
A call came in to emergency dispatchers about 11:30 p.m. Tuesday from the male clerk, who reported the assault and robbery at 1395 East Michigan Ave. in Ypsilanti Township, Sheriff’s Sgt. Thomas Pennington said.
The victim told deputies the man entered the gas station with a shirt pulled over his face and approached the counter. He punched the clerk in the face and grabbed money out of the register before fleeing in an unknown direction.
Police said the clerk suffered minor injuries and was able to provide a description of his attacker to police. No one else was in the store at the time, Pennington said.
The suspect is described as a white male with brown hair, about 5 feet, 6 inches tall weighing about 200 pounds. He was wearing a white T-shirt and black shorts, the clerk told police.
A store manager at the Speedway station referred all questions to the company’s corporate office, where a spokesman did not immediately return a request for comment.
Anyone with information on the attack is asked to call police at (734)973-7711 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK UP.
Heidi Fenton covers police and courts for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at heidifenton@annarbor.com or 734-623-4673. You also can follow her on Twitter or subscribe to AnnArbor.com's e-mail newsletters.
Comments
Jen Eyer
Thu, Aug 11, 2011 : 2:24 p.m.
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RJA
Thu, Aug 11, 2011 : 1:24 a.m.
I just hope the police can find the man they are looking for. I try to get gas only in the day light hours. Also, if there is a crowd outside in the parking lot and not any customers inside I won't stop. I learned to feel this way after being IN a station when it was robbed.
Cash
Wed, Aug 10, 2011 : 9:12 p.m.
<a href="http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/28823371/detail.html?treets=det&tml=det_4pm&ts=T&tmi=det_4pm_1_02500208102011" rel='nofollow'>http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/28823371/detail.html?treets=det&tml=det_4pm&ts=T&tmi=det_4pm_1_02500208102011</a> His picture might help.
Mark Hergott
Wed, Aug 10, 2011 : 7:59 p.m.
Who steals from a gas station? Every station I have ever been to is loaded to the gills with surveillance equipment. The person responsible for this crime has assault and strong-arm robbery counts coming to them, and the police knows what he looks like, and the jury is going to see him committing the crimes in technicolor! This is baffling. The only thing that begins to make any sort of sense is that the man is facing homelessness from running off the unemployment rolls, and needs a reason for the county to keep him fed and clothed in the coming winter.
redwingshero
Wed, Aug 10, 2011 : 7:36 p.m.
If I say, "I hope they catch the suspect send put him in jail", that's not presumming guilt is it? Observing an individual robbing someone or a business is not an assumption, it's a fact.
redwingshero
Wed, Aug 10, 2011 : 7:30 p.m.
Shoot, it now takes my posts and messages 15 min and multiple page refreshes to view them...
Jen Eyer
Wed, Aug 10, 2011 : 6:49 p.m.
An off-topic comment was removed.
redwingshero
Wed, Aug 10, 2011 : 6:59 p.m.
Wow, we really got to watch what we type today... IN any case, I hope they have some type of suveillence footage so the authorities can apprehend the suspect. Most gas statiosn have a plethera of cameras now.
redwingshero
Wed, Aug 10, 2011 : 5:42 p.m.
Used to fill up there all the time when I was leaving EMU after class going back home. It's not in a 'real' bad area, but I was always quick about getting gas when class got out after 9 and it was after dusk.
Paula Gardner
Wed, Aug 10, 2011 : 4:33 p.m.
We'd like to remind readers of our conversation guidelines. Comments may not presume guilt on the part of the accused, blame the victim, make blanket generalizations about groups of people, or speculate about factors that haven't been reported, among other things. Full guidelines here: <a href="http://www.annarbor.com/about/annarborcom-conversation-guidelines-comment-moderation/">http://www.annarbor.com/about/annarborcom-conversation-guidelines-comment-moderation/</a>. Thank you in advance for adhering to this policy.