- November 17, 2024
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A man babbling incoherently “about having ‘HIV’ and ‘dying’” robbed the Publix in Town Center the night of Jan. 21 and fled in a gray sedan, according to a Sheriff’s Office report. Deputies are seeking the public’s help to find the robber.
A 24-year-old employee was working the cash register at the Publix at 800 Belle Terre Parkway at about 9:45 p.m. when a man who looked to be in his mid-20s walked up to her, wearing a gray hoodie, a tan Carhartt-style jacket and dark glasses that prevented her from seeing his eye color.
He “approached her making statements about having ‘HIV’ and ‘Dying,’ and other ‘non-coherent’ word,” according to a Sheriff’s Office report, then slid a yellow Dollar General grocery bag across the counter and said, “Don’t do anything stupid. Give me everything you have in the drawer.”
She gave him the cash, and he had her remove the drawer so he could make sure he got everything.
He had his hand in his jacket pocket, and the clerk told deputies it looked like he was holding a gun. The employee “stated that she believes the item was a firearm and not an implied firearm by using his finger because of the shape and roundness of the tip of the object in his pocket,” according to the Sheriff’s Office report.
She told deputies the man appeared to be either white or Hispanic, and seemed to have a Spanish accent. He had a slight build and was about 5’7”, and wore blue jeans and black tennis shoes with a white stripe along with the hoodie and tan jacket.
A 38-year-old witness told deputies he saw the man walking “briskly” out of the store, and, once he realized what had happened, tried to get the robber’s tag number. He couldn’t do that, but he did note that the car was a gray sedan, possibly a Hyundai, and that the robber left the parking lot at the south exit and headed north on Belle Terre Parkway.
Detectives have asked anyone with information about the robbery to call Detective Gabe Fuentes at 586- 4890 regarding case 2015-8283 or call Crime Stoppers of Northeast Florida at 888-277-TIPS. Tipsters can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.
