Massachusetts

Police Seek Armed Robbery Suspect Who Donned Mask in Store Bathroom

Police in Braintree, Massachusetts, are investigating an armed robbery at a local convenience store that was caught on camera Thursday morning. A store clerk was held up by a masked suspect carrying a double-barreled shotgun.

It happened at the Mobil gas station located at 301 Elm St. just after 3 a.m. Thursday. The store manager said what made the crime different was how it started.

Surveillance footage shows the suspect first walking into the store without a mask, wearing a hoodie and carrying a bag. He then made a request to use the bathroom.

"He said he drank too much coffee, he want[ed] to use the bathroom," the clerk, Johnny Nicolas, told NBC10 Boston in an exclusive interview. "He didn't have the mask on."

When he came out of the bathroom, the suspect was wearing a mask and gloves, carrying a large shotgun.

"He just held it right to me," Nicolas recalled. "He said to 'give me the money.'"

Fortunately, Nicolas was not hurt, and police are investigating. Customers are shocked he only got away with $50. The manager said he even stole a roll of pennies from the register.

"I think that's horrible. I come here all the time," Samantha King of Braintree said. "I would never expect that, not in this neighborhood."

Store employees believe the suspect was not acting alone. Their cameras also caught a masked man outside who they believe was a lookout, given that both of the individuals got into the same car and took off after the crime.

The surveillance video has been handed over to the Braintree police. As of Thursday afternoon, police said no arrests had been made.

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