Belen
Police are looking for a man who walked into Circle K in Belen early Monday morning demanding money from the clerk.
Belen Police Detective Joe Griego said an unknown male entered the store at 12:10 a.m. while one clerk was in the back stocking the cooler and another was tending to the register.
He said the suspect walked over to the cooler, got a soda and waited at the counter until the clerk helped another customer.
“He waited until the other customer walked out of the store and, when it was his turn to pay, he lifted up his shirt and brandished what she (clerk) thinks was a 9 mm black weapon,” Griego said. “He told her to give him the money.”
The detective said the clerk didn’t hear what the man had told her and said, “What?” The suspect then repeated, “Give me the money.” After the clerk opened the register, she asked him if he wanted her to put it in a bag.
“Just give me the money,” the suspect told the clerk.
The suspect took the money and left the store. Griego said the clerk witnessed the suspect walk to the south side of the building where he had a vehicle parked. The vehicle, described as a white, two-door ’80s model Nissan Sentra, was last seen driving north on Main Street without its headlights on.
“From what I can tell from the surveillance video, the suspect is about five-feet-five-inches tall, 160 pounds, bald and in his early to mid 20s,” Griego said. “He was wearing a denim shirt, blue jeans and white tennis shoes.”
If anyone has information on the suspect, call Belen Police Detective Joe Griego at 864-6228.
Clara Garcia is the editor and publisher of the Valencia County News-Bulletin.
She is a native of the city of Belen, beginning her journalism career at the News-Bulletin in 1998 as the crime and courts reporter. During her time at the paper, Clara has won numerous awards for her writing, photography and typography and design both from the National Newspaper Association and the New Mexico Press Association.
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April 18, 2024
