The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office is searching for a suspect who threatened a convenience store worker at gunpoint, fired a round inside the business, and ran away with stolen cash.
On Saturday, October 10, 2020, at 10:50 p.m., an unidentified man entered the Shell Gas Station, located at 4330 Lithia Pinecrest Road in Valrico. Surveillance video shows the suspect make his way behind the counter and grab a plastic container with rolled coins. The suspect then pointed the gun at the clerk and demanded they open the cash register. At one point, the man pointed the gun away and fired a round through a display shelf. In fear for their life, the clerk opened the cash register. The suspect removed an undisclosed amount of money and ran out of the store toward an unknown vehicle, which traveled northbound on Lithia Pinecrest Road.
"This man entered a business with a loaded gun and was clearly not afraid to use it," said Sheriff Chad Chronister. "We can only imagine how frightened the clerk must have felt when he pointed a gun at her, and even more so when he fired a shot at a display shelf just a few feet away. Our deputies are working hard to identify this masked gunman and we urge anyone how has information that could help detectives, to please come forward and help us get this suspect off the streets."
Anyone with information on this case, the suspect's identity, or his whereabouts, is urged to contact the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office at (813) 247-8200.