Crime Pot Belly restaurant robbed at gunpoint Sunday

[Editor]

More druggies looking for cash for their heroin??

On October 23, 2016, at approximately 9:26 p.m. St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to the area of the Pot Belly restaurant in California, MD for a reported armed robbery. Two employees were inside the establishment after closing when an unknown male suspect entered the establishment through an unlocked side door. The suspect utilized a handgun to rob the business before fleeing the area.

The suspect was described as a male approximately 5'10" to 6'0" tall, medium build, wearing black pants, a mask, and a hooded jacket.

The St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigations Division is continuing the investigation. Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact Detective Skyler Leave at 301-475-4200, ext. *1983 or by e-mail, Skyler.Lefave@stmarysmd.com. Callers may also call Crime Solvers at 301-475-3333 (callers can remain anonymous, or text a tip to "TIP239" plus your message to "CRIMES" (274637).

 

[glhs837]

Hmmmm, given the perps knowledge of an unlocked door, and wearing a mask, I'll take former employee as my guess.

 

[Misfit]

At $9.70 for a combo they’ve been robbing us for a while now.

 

[Forkian]

Hmmmm, given the perps knowledge of an unlocked door, and wearing a mask, I'll take former employee as my guess.

Yeah, sounds like a former employee or an inside job.

 

[Restitution]

Hmmmm, given the perps knowledge of an unlocked door...

My guess is that door was supposed to be locked. Who on Earth would put policy in place that DOESN'T say to lock all doors before counting cash at the end of the night?

 

[PrchJrkr]

How do they know it was a male? Did he whip out his johnson? Hell, they don't even state the ethnicity of the robber.

 

[Spook]

How do they know it was a male? Did he whip out his johnson? Hell, they don't even state the ethnicity of the robber.

My guess - black. Fits the profile...

 

[vraiblonde]

Hell, they don't even state the ethnicity of the robber.

Probably because he was wearing a mask.

When I worked in food service, it was always policy to lock the doors after closing, before counting the drawer or anything else. For a number of reasons, not the least of which is to deter robberies. Curious why the employees didn't do that?

 

[Gilligan]

Curious why the employees didn't do that?

More info that suggests "inside job".

 

[PrchJrkr]

Probably because he was wearing a mask.

He was probably wearing gloves and didn't say anything the whole time, too. I wonder if he had the typical hitch in his getalong.

 

[vraiblonde]

More info that suggests "inside job".

Honestly, that was my first thought.

Although I hesitate to go there because if they were actually robbed at gunpoint, that's a scary thing and I appreciate how they must have been peeing their pants during the incident.

 

[officeguy]

More info that suggests "inside job".

To me it suggests the quality of staff you get for $7.25/hr.

 

[vraiblonde]

To me it suggests the quality of staff you get for $7.25/hr.

I must protest. Potbelly on 235 has a great staff, at least every time I've been there. Their workers are on par with Chick-Fil-A, in that they aren't a bunch of tatted up grubs and are a nice looking bunch of young people. Always polite and efficient.

That's another reason why I hesitate to be suspicious of them, because I'm shallow and don't think nice young people do things like that.

 

[officeguy]

I must protest. Potbelly on 235 has a great staff, at least every time I've been there. Their workers are on par with Chick-Fil-A, in that they aren't a bunch of tatted up grubs and are a nice looking bunch of young people. Always polite and efficient.

Well, someone left a door unlocked or went on a smoke break while the manager was counting the drawer.

 

[glhs837]

Yep, always been treated well by the staff there. Could easily be that there was one bad apple who was hired then fired between visits, though.

 

[Kinnakeet]

my guess - black. Fits the profile...

95% of the time that is correct.

 

[This_person]

95% of the time that is correct.

That's one hell of an unsupported assumption.

Inside job certainly sounds like a possibility, but so does simple "luck" for the burglar and complacency of the staff. It's easy to feel comfortable in SOMD, like robbery is unlikely - until it happens to you or your kid.

 

[Gilligan]

Honestly, that was my first thought.

Although I hesitate to go there because if they were actually robbed at gunpoint, that's a scary thing and I appreciate how they must have been peeing their pants during the incident.

Maybe I'm just too cynical, but...a lot of businesses get robbed like that one did; Someone on the clock assuring access for the thief and then sharing in the proceeds later. I "hope" it was simply a matter of being careless with door security.