Convenience store hopes surveillance video will help catch an armed robbery suspect

The entire crime took only 32 seconds to commit.

Gil Pence was behind the counter when the suspect walked in in full black motorcycle gear. Gil says, “The door is literally five feet from the check stand so he just stood in front of me with the gun and said, give me all the money and be quick and that was it. So I just took the money out of the drawer, put it on the counter, didn’t say a word, turned around and walked out.

Surveillance video shows the suspect casually walking up to the building and through the front door before leaning on the counter with a small silver gun.

Gil continues, “It’s really frustrating. People move to the desert to get away from crime and all the other things that go along with living in a big city and it just seems that it just follows you no matter what.”

The cashier clears the register and puts the money on the counter. The suspect then grabs the cash, walks out of the store, and around the corner. Then he runs.

The benefit of the robbery lasting half a minute? Gil tells us, “The good thing was nobody got hurt you know people in the deli didn’t even know it happened.”

Gil, a 29 year employee of Jensen’s, was also held up at gunpoint in February of 2011. Employees at the store hope it doesn’t become the norm.

Stevie Buxton is the store’s manager and finds it hard to believe this is what society has come to. “It’s too bad because when I was a kid you could leave your keys in the car, house wide open,” Buxton says. “Now you got to board everything up and it’s too bad.”

Buxton says the robbery doesn’t change anything, and he hopes business will continue as usual.

He says, “We’re a happy place, keep coming. We’ll take care of them, and they’ll help take care of us.”

Gil reflects on the outcome saying, “What’s happened has happened you just hope it doesn’t happen again and count your blessing that nobody got hurt.”

Gil says he tries not to think about the robbery and the gun but, one thing would make it better.

“Catch the guy,” Gil says. “Make my life happier.”

Police describe the suspect as a five foot five white man wearing all black motorcycle gear with a helmet. Police are asking anyone with information to come forward. You can remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at (760)341-STOP.