Would-Be Belmont Robber Pulls Knife on Local Business Owner, Forces Husband to Fill Bag With Cash: Police

BELMONT, CA — Belmont police are asking for the public's help identifying a masked man who tried to rob a local gas station on Wednesday, before fleeing empty-handed.

According to Capt. Patrick Halleran, the incident was reported at 4:40 a.m. the AM/PM mini-market in the 400 block of Ralston Avenue.

Halleran says a masked man followed the husband and wife owners inside the location when they arrived to open shop for the day. Once inside, he brandished a handgun and demanded money. Then, things briefly got physical.

"The suspect grabbed the female owner and forced her to the floor," Halleran said. "A brief struggle ensued, during which the woman realized that the gun was a replica. She alerted her husband that the gun was 'not real' at which point the suspect put the gun away and brandished a fixed blade knife."

At that point, the suspect handed over a bag to the husband, and told him to fill it with cash, according to Halleran.

"As the husband was doing this, the building's audible burglary alarm went off, as the robbery had occurred as the owners were entering and didn't have an opportunity to disarm it," he said. "When the suspect heard the alarm, he ran from the market, leaving the bag with the money behind."

The suspect was described as a unknown race adult male, wearing a gray or black hooded sweatshirt, dark colored pants, white athletic shoes with a dark colored band from the front top to the back of the shoe. He was wearing a surgical mask at the time of the crime, along with sunglasses and one glove, according to Halleran.

"The suspect fled on foot, northbound on Hiller St and no suspect vehicle was seen or heard," he said. "Neither of the victims were injured."

Photos from Wednesday's incident are attached to this article, pulled from surveillance footage. You can view them above, or embedded below.

Anyone with information on this robbery is asked to contact Belmont Police at (650) 595 7400 or police@belmont.gov