See it: Man armed with long rifle robs Staten Island convenience store
NEW YORK -- Police are looking for the man who robbed a Staten Island convenience store over the weekend.
Witnesses say the suspect had a long rifle and demanded money that he said was going back into the community.
"Empty the register and be quick, quick," the suspect is heard saying on surveillance video.
On Saturday at around 10:30 p.m., the man, carrying a rifle, and wearing goggles, gloves and a mouth covering, entered Veterans Convenience on Veterans Road in the Rossville section of the borough.
"Take the cash out. ... Don't worry, I won't hurt you. You got a family. Don't worry," the suspect says.
He only wanted bigger bills.
"Leave the dollars. This is going back to the community," he says.
He is seen grabbing the cash -- about $1,000 or less -- and then bids the clerk adieu.
"Have a good (expletive) night," he says.
The man working in the store that night asked that CBS New York not show his face after the terrifying encounter.
He said his heart was pounding during the ordeal. He had only been on the job for a month.
When asked if he had ever seen the suspect before, the worker said, "Never seen him. Never seen him."
CBS New York spoke with some other people who work in the area. They said they're not worried, adding they think it's only a matter of time before the suspect gets caught.
"He had the audacity to say, 'Thanks, have a great day.' Like, why would you do that? You just walked in and put a gun to somebody's face," Will Vazquez said, adding, "And he didn't really conceal his face. He's gonna get caught. I can't wait to see who it is."
"Shocking, because, you know, it's a very quiet, very safe neighborhood," Ash Abdel added.
Abdel said he used to own a bodega in East New York, Brooklyn, and once chased down a suspect.
"It's sad that it happens, you know? They come, make an honest living, and something like this happens to them. It's sad," Abdel said.
Police said the suspect is about 6-foot-2.
Anyone with any information is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). You can also submit a tip via their website or via DM on Twitter, @NYPDTips. All calls are kept confidential.
