Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers is asking for the public’s help identifying and tracking down an unknown male who attempted to rob a Lehigh Acres Dollar General store last week.
Just after midnight on Tuesday, November 1, the manager of the Dollar General, located at 701 Gretchen Ave. S., walked outside of the business to lock the doors for the night. While doing so, the manager heard someone say “Open the doors.” The victim turned around, thinking someone was playing a joke, and saw an unknown male suspect pointing a gun at him. The suspect told the victim to “Open the doors or I’ll shoot you.” After refusing the suspect’s demands, the victim was struck in the head by the gun, causing it to fall to the ground. The suspect quickly ran away, headed in a westerly direction on 8th Street, leaving his weapon behind. Detectives believe the suspect had a vehicle waiting for him nearby.
The suspect is described as a black male, in his mid to late 20s, between 5’6” and 5’7”. He was wearing a large pair of sunglasses and had a gray colored item covering his face from the nose down. Surveillance video from the area shows that the suspect was on the store’s property roughly 45 minutes before the incident occurred.
Anyone with information on the identity and whereabouts of the suspect is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-TIPS (8477). All callers will remain anonymous and will be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000. Tips may also be made online at www.southwestfloridacrimestoppers.com or by submitting a tip through the mobile P3 app.