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Published on 07/06/1998 All articles from this issue

Police search for suspect after market robbery

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By Linda Taaffe / Town Crier Staff Writer

Police were continuing their search last week for the gunman who shot a 40-year-old man in the abdomen last week during a late-night holdup at Lucky Food Center in Los Altos.

The gunman ran into the Lucky market at 2175 Grant Road at about 11:30 p.m. July 6, put a gun to a store cashier's head and demanded that she give him the money from her register, said store manager Gregory Williams, who was setting up a display in the market during the armed robbery.

Williams said the gunman turned a gun on the store bookkeeper and shot him in the midsection after the employee intervened, warning the cashier to hand over the money because the gunman was "serious." The gunman fled the store with between $300 to $400 and fired his gun before jumping into a waiting car, Williams said.

Williams said about 10 employees and eight customers were in the store during the holdup. The bookkeeper was the only bystander injured, he said.

The bookkeeper was recovering from surgery last week at Stanford Hospital. His condition was critical, according to Los Altos Police Sgt. Mark Macaulay.

Witnesses said the gunman had two firearms: a small caliber revolver, and a small automatic pistol. Macaulay said police were looking for a Hispanic male in his 20s, about 5-feet-10 inches and weighing about 160 to 175 pounds. He said witnesses described the gunman as "being dark complected with brown hair and brown eyes." He was wearing a baseball hat, dark clothing, and white high top tennis shoes.

Witnesses said the suspect fled the market in a light-colored vehicle waiting just outside the store.

Macaulay said witnesses described the waiting vehicle that the gunman used to flee as a light colored, late model vehicle similar to a Honda Civic.

The vehicle fled in the direction of Cupertino and Sunnyvale, Macaulay said.

Williams said this is the first armed robbery that has occurred at the store since he's worked during the past two years. He said the store is the only Lucky market in the area open 24 hours.