Robber Swipes $700, Drops Most Fleeing on Bike Path

ERMA — On Tuesday, May 26 at about 2:30 p.m., Lower Township Police Department received a report from a clerk of a robbery in progress at the Pantry One store on Seashore Road and Sally Marshall Crossing. That clerk was then disconnected.
Initial responding officers blocked the exits to the parking lot and evacuated several patrons from the parking area.
Police dispatchers were able to reestablish contact with the clerk in the store, but communications were ham-pered by a language barrier, according to a release.
Two clerks in the store eventually left the building. Lower Township Police officers then cleared the store.
The clerks told officers that a black male in his 20s to 30s, approximately 6’=2” in height entered the store. He wore a black hoodie sweat shirt with some type of white lettering on it, and possibly wore black jeans.
The suspect then poured himself a cup of coffee and approached the counter.
When the clerk opened the cash register, the suspect reached over the counter and removed about $700 from the drawer before fleeing the store on foot. He reportedly left in a southerly direction on the county bike path.
The suspect left a trail of c ash on the ground from the store’s rear along the bike path.
Officers recovered about $415 in cash that was returned to the store.
Lower Township Police Department has requested the assistance of the county Sheriff’s Department K-9 unit at the scene. K-9 officers searched for the suspect for over an hour.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Lower Township Police Safe Neighborhood Tip Line at (609) 886-1619 ext. 156, or Cape May County Crime Stoppers at (609) 465-2800. All information will remain confidential and may be reported anonymously.
Officer Robert Fesseler and members of Lower Township Detective Division are investigating.