Armed Robber Strikes Gas Station

Shortly after midnight on Monday, March 19, an armed man robbed the on Morris Ave. near the Union border.

Springfield police say the man pointed a black semi-automatic pistol at an attendant shortly after the attendant finished gassing up a car. The gunman demanded that the attendant hand over all the money he had on him and then led him at gunpoint to the station’s convenience store area. The robber demanded that the employee working behind the counter give him the money from the register.

In addition to the cash, the suspect also reportedly stole lottery tickets and several cigars before fleeing from the store on foot. He was last seen running south on Meisel. Police believe the man’s car was parked nearby.

Police say the culprit is between 5’9” and 5’11” with a noticeably thin build.
Witnesses reportedly described him as a light complexioned, possibly Hispanic, man in his early to mid 20's. The suspect was clean-shaven and wore dark colored clothes, including a hooded sweatshirt with the hood up and tied around his head.
 
Police believe the suspect is an experienced armed robber.

“Police detectives are investigating various leads including contacting other police agencies as the method of operation and calm demeanor of this suspect appears to indicate this was most likely not his first commission of an armed robbery,” Detective Lieutenant Judd Levenson said in an email.
 
Springfield police Chief John Cook, who was nearby and responded to the reported robbery, reported that the two employees, ages 50 and 51, were not injured during the robbery. The chief has ordered patrol officers to increase their checks on all 24 hour businesses during their patrol shift.

The gas station was also .