Pet Store Robbed in Murrieta

A robbery at gunpoint took place at Pet Stop in Murrieta at about 6:15 p.m. Friday, according to Murrieta Police scanner reports.

Initials reports first described the suspect as a white or hispanic male, 5-feet-9 inches tall, wearing a black hoodie, light-colored blue jeans and a black T-shirt pulled over his face. Later information from Murrieta Police Sgt. Steve Dyer was that the suspect was a 6-foot-tall Hispanic male in his 20s with a stocky build, wearing the same described clothing.

There was one female employee working, who said she was told by the gunman to give him cash. She was then told to go in the back restroom and to not come out for 10 minutes, Dyer said.

The employee called the Murrieta Police Department to report the robbery. According to scanner reports, the suspect put an undisclosed amount of cash in a white plastic bag and left out the front door.

Murrieta Police responded to the location and were working to locate the suspect, who had already fled when they arrived. A police helicopter that was already in the area assisted in the search, Dyer said. The suspect was not located.

The employee described the gun used as a black, semi-automatic handgun, Dyer said. She was not harmed in the incident.

Pet Stop is located at 40477 Murrieta Hot Springs Road, near Rite-Aid and Ralph's.

Dyer said he could not speculate whether the robbery was related to similar crimes in the past few months in Murrieta and surrounding communities. Anyone with information on this incident can call the Murrieta Police Department at 951-696-3615.  Anonymous tips can be called into “WE TIP” at 1-800-78-CRIME.