The coronavirus pandemic has all but eliminated the hint of suspiciousness that once hung on people who wore masks to the store. But this newfound complacency about masked shoppers apparently presented an opportunity to one armed robber who recently held up a retailer in Burlington.
According to the city’s police department, a knife-wielding man in a surgical mask managed to steal an undisclosed sum of cash from the Cruizers convenience store at 728 North Church Street on Friday.
The suspect reportedly held up the business shortly before 3:38 a.m. when a single employee was on duty inside the store.
Based on the employee’s testimony and footage from the store’s security cameras, the department has described the perpetrator as a bald black male, roughly 48 to 50 years in age, who stands about 5-feet-8-inches tall and weighs some 220 pounds. Aside from the white surgical mask that covered his face, the suspect was clad in an all-black ensemble that consisted of cargo pants, a long-sleeved shirt and a toboggan. He also wore silver-rimmed glasses and appeared to have a graying goatee.
Police urge anyone with more information about this case to contact the department at 336-229-3500 or call Crime Stoppers at 336-229-7100 to leave an anonymous tip.
