Police are searching for a man who walked into the Gilroy Walmart on Camino Arroyo, handed over a note demanding money and made off with more than $3,000 cash.
Around 8 p.m. Friday, the suspect entered the store and walked over to the customer service counter, where he handed the note to an employee, police said.
“Fearing for their life, the employee complied with the note,” GPD Sgt. Chad Gallacinao said.
It hasn’t been determined whether the suspect was armed, though the employee didn’t take any chances, Gallacinao said.
“The employee did not see any firearm or other deadly weapon, however, they suspected that he had one,” Gallacinao said.
According to a GPD press report, the suspect made off with approximately $3,300.
The suspect is described as a white male adult, 6 feet tall with a medium build. At the time of the robbery, the suspect was wearing a white Reebok windbreaker, San Francisco Giants baseball cap, blue jeans and white tennis shoes, Gallacinao said.
He said the GPD may release security photos of the suspect within the next several days.
While note-passing robberies happen occasionally at banks, the practice is “pretty unique” for a store like Walmart, Gallacinao said.
“I’d say it’s not very common when it comes to large retail stores,” he said.
Though the employee didn’t know whether the suspect was armed, Gallacinao said the employee acted appropriately when they immediately handed over the money. Attempting to stop the robbery could have turned a bad situation worse, he said.
“As law enforcement, we would ask that they always comply with whatever direction they’re given. We will always investigate it after the fact,” Gallacinao said. “Comply and notify the police immediately. Money and property are replaceable. People are not.”
Anyone with information about this incident is urged to call the GPD at 846-0350, or anonymously at 1-800-782-7463.
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