A Gulf gas station clerk closing up for the night in Penn Township found himself staring down the barrel of a gun Thursday, as two masked men forced their way in and took a large amount of cash from the store safe before fleeing. Pennsylvania State Police are now asking the public for help tracking down the pair.
The robbery happened around 11:59 p.m. Thursday at the Gulf Gas Station on the 890 block of West Baltimore Pike, according to NBC10 Philadelphia, which reported that the employee was trying to close the store for the night when the two suspects struck. Surveillance footage reviewed by investigators showed the men approaching the clerk from behind before demanding that he let them into the store.
Once inside, one of the suspects pointed a gun directly at the employee, the outlet reported. That same suspect then kept the weapon trained on the clerk while he was forced to open the store safe, after which the pair made off with what police described only as a large amount of cash.
Suspects Vanish Without a Trace
After grabbing the cash, the two men ran out of the store, according to the report. Investigators said they do not know what mode of transportation the suspects used to get away, leaving a key piece of the puzzle unresolved for now.
Descriptions of the suspects remain limited to their clothing. Both men were seen wearing blue-colored hooded sweatshirts, along with masks covering their faces and gloves on their hands — a getup that obscured any other identifying features captured on camera.
Gas Stations and Violent Crime
Gas stations accounted for roughly 2% of all violent crimes recorded in 2020, according to data reported by CSP Daily News.
Just over a month before the Penn Township incident, a gas station employee in North Philadelphia was robbed at gunpoint while carrying a deposit to his vehicle, according to CBS News Philadelphia. In that case, the suspect reportedly waited roughly 90 minutes in a parked car before the employee stepped outside.
How to Help
Pennsylvania State Police Avondale is asking anyone with surveillance video or other information about the Penn Township robbery to come forward. Tipsters can reach the barracks directly at 610-268-2022. No arrests, injuries or further details about the stolen cash total have been released as the investigation continues.
