Advanced Auto Parts Robbed At Gunpoint

VALRICO, FL — The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a Tuesday afternoon armed robbery at the Advanced Auto Parts store on Bloomingdale Avenue.

According to the agency, a man walked into the store armed with a semi-automatic gun around 1:19 p.m. The man proceeded to walk behind the parts counter at the 1029 Bloomingdale Ave. store to confront the manager.

“The suspect then forced the manager and a co-worker to open the safe and two cash registers and place an undisclosed amount of cash into a plastic bag,” an email from the sheriff’s office said. “The suspect then ran out of the store and got into a vehicle that was waiting outside with a driver.”

A witness told deputies the car was an older model that was light blue or gray in color. It is possibly a 2-door Honda Civic. The armed robber is believed to be black or a dark-skinned Hispanic, the agency’s email said. He is between 25 and 35 years of age, stands 5-foot-10 and weighs about 190 pounds. He was last seen wearing a two-toned baseball cap, metal-framed glasses and had a light covering over his face. He was wearing a white T-shirt with dark blue sleeves and dark pants at the time the crime occurred.

The weapon is believed to be a nickel-plated, semi-automatic, possibly a .380 or 9mm.

No further information is available at this time.

Anyone with information about the crime is asked to contact the sheriff’s office at 813-247-8200. Those who wish to be eligible for a cash reward may call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-873-8477 with their tips. Anonymous tips may also be submitted online at www.crimestopperstb.com or via the P3 Tips mobile app.

Image via Shutterstock

Sign up for the Bloomingdale-Riverview Patch newsletter and alerts!

Be sure to follow us on Facebook, too!