Two white males wearing Halloween masks and wielding handguns
robbed J
&
amp; K Auto Service in San Juan Bautista Thursday evening,
according to the San Benito County Sheriff’s Department.
San Juan Bautista – Two white males wearing Halloween masks and wielding handguns robbed J & K Auto Service in San Juan Bautista Thursday evening, according to the San Benito County Sheriff’s Department.
The men stole $703 from the cash register and several packs of cigarettes, said Lt. Pat Turturici.
The men entered the store on Muckelemi Street around 7:30pm, pointed their guns at the two clerks behind the counter and told them to get on the floor, Turturici said.
San Juan Bautista resident James Tankersley, 19 and another 17-year-old boy from San Juan were working in the empty store when the two men entered, Tankersley said.
At first Tankersley said he thought it was a prank until the men pushed both clerks down to the ground.
The men were wearing dark clothing, and one was between 5 feet 7 inches to 5 feet 9 inches tall and the other was between 5 feet 10 inches to 6 feet 2 inches tall, and were approximately 25 years old, according to deputies.
One of the suspects told Tankersley to get up, lock the front door and then open the register, he said.
“I came back by the register and they told me to open it,” he said. “They were pointing the gun at me and told me to get the money and I did.”
Before the suspects could leave, a customer pulled up to the store, and one of the suspects ducked behind the counter and the other ran into the back garage, Tankersley said.
“(The suspect) told me to tell him to go away,” he said. “(The customer) asked me if I was OK and I just shook my head ‘yes’ because I didn’t want anything bad to happen. The gentleman looked around and he left.”
After the man left the two suspects waited about a minute and left on foot, Tankersley said.
Turturici said the entire incident was caught on video from a surveillance camera. Fingerprints taken off the cash register and the cigarette case, along with the video are being sent to the Department of Justice to be analyzed, he said.
The robbery was a rare occurrence in San Juan, Turturici said.
“It doesn’t happen very often and we’re giving it our full attention investigating it, along with the DOJ,” he said. “Our detectives are working the case and we’re doing everything we can to solve it.”
Tankersley also said the event was out of the ordinary, and that he’s not worried robberies at the store will be a recurring event.
“We’re going to take extra precautions from now on… I feel it was just a one-time thing,” he said. “I feel pretty confident.”
Anyone with information about the robbery can contact Detective Sgt. Wes Walker at the San Benito County Sheriff’s Department at (831) 636-4080.
Erin Musgrave covers public safety for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336 or [email protected]
