A Hispanic male wearing a black ski mask robbed the Hollister
Drive-In Market at gun-point Wednesday
– taking off with approximately $235 from the cash register and
about $500 from two customers in the store.
Hollister – A Hispanic male wearing a black ski mask robbed the Hollister Drive-In Market at gun-point Wednesday – taking off with approximately $235 from the cash register and about $500 from two customers in the store.
The owner, Jose “Chon” Reynoso, an employee, two men and a young child were in the store during the robbery but were not injured, Reynoso said.
Reynoso said the robbery marked the fifth time his store in the 800 block of Fourth Street had been robbed.
“When you have a gun pointed to your head you’re scared for a little while,” Reynoso said. “But then you ignore it. Another day is another day. The money doesn’t matter – I’m glad he didn’t hurt anybody.”
A man described as being a dark-skinned Hispanic male between 18 to 20 years old, 5 feet 9 inches or 5 feet 10 inches tall, approximately 150 pounds and wearing a black shirt and dark blue jeans walked into the market around 7:40pm armed with some type of revolver, said Hollister police spokesman George Ramirez.
The man told one customer, a 24-year-old male standing at the counter, to get on the floor, Ramirez said.
He pushed another 25-year-old male who was standing at the counter with his little boy to the ground when he didn’t obey the robber’s commands. The customer did not understand what the man was saying because the customer did not speak English and the robber did not speak Spanish, Ramirez said.
Reynoso said the man demanded he open the cash register and give him all the money when he walked into the store, but instead of handing the money to him Reynoso said he threw it on the floor.
“This way it distracts this guy while he’s picking up the money,” he said. “He left about $180 on the floor in $1s, $5s, $10s and $20s.”
The non-English speaking customer, who had his little boy with him, had just cashed a check and had $500 in his hand, Reynoso said.
When the assailant pushed him to the floor the money fell out of his hand and the robber picked it up and put it in his pocket, he said.
“The guy who had the money taken away has six or seven kids. (The money) was for his rent,” Reynoso said. “It’s sad.”
The robber did not touch the boy or make him get on the floor, he said.
“I don’t think he noticed anything,” Reynoso said. “He didn’t cry or anything.”
The robbery lasted about two minutes and after the man left Reynoso called police, who arrived in about a minute he said.
Witnesses said the man was last seen running in the area of Line Street, Ramirez said.
The man was wearing gloves during the robbery and the store is equipped with surveillance cameras, he said.
Anyone who has information about the robbery can contact the Hollister Police Department at (831) 636-4330.
Erin Musgrave covers public safety for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336 or [email protected]
