A man carrying a shotgun tried to rob a Santa Cruz neighborhood store at gunpoint Saturday night, but was deterred by an employee who took charge.
Santa Cruz police said that around 8:20 p.m., a man entered a neighborhood store in the 200 block of California Avenue with a shotgun and demand money from an employee.
But rather than comply with the gun-toting man, the employee grabbed the shotgun. After a brief struggle, the would-be robber changed his mind and ran away.
Speaking about the man who was working at the store, Lt. Colleen McMahon of the Santa Cruz Police Department said, "It looks like (the robbery) would have on on had he not done something."
Police said that after arriving, they searched the area with the help of their police K-9 "Lobo," but did not find the man with the shotgun.
Police said the suspect is described as being in his 20s between 5 feet 2 and 5 feet 4 inches tall. He was wearing a blue beanie, a black patterned bandanna, a gray hoodie, black gloves, black pants, and black slip-on shoes.
Anyone with information on the suspect is urged to call Santa Cruz police at (831) 420-5995, or leave an anonymous tip online at www.santacruzpolice.com.
