Armed man robs Port Angeles gas station

PORT ANGELES — Port Angeles police on Tuesday worked on leads from information supplied by city residents in their search for an armed man who robbed a Chevron gas station-food market east of downtown of $300 to $400 at about 5:45 a.m. Monday morning, Cpl. David Dombrowski said.

“We’ve had a couple people call in, so we are looking at different things,” Dombrowski said Tuesday. “We have no solid suspects.”

The man entered the 601 E. First St. business and brandished a blunt weapon — not a firearm — at the female clerk, Dombrowski said, declining to give further information about the weapon.

The robber was dark-skinned — possibly Latino or Native American — with a shorter-than-average, stocky build and wore a dark hoodie and black pants, masking much of his face with a red bandanna, Dombrowski said.

The man demanded money and took several packages of cigarettes when he took the cash.

“I’m not aware of any direct threats,” Dombrowski said.

Dombrowski said he did not have an estimated age of the robber.

The man stuffed the stolen items into a black bag before running out of the store northbound toward the alley behind the store between East First and East Front streets.

“We were on the scene pretty quickly, and he was nowhere to be found once we got there,” Dombrowski said.

Police issued a plea for help to catch the robber in a news release to the local media that was issued at 6:08 p.m. Monday, more than 12 hours after the incident.

The plea was issued several hours later “because we were swamped,” Dombrowski said.

The public should consider the suspect to be armed and dangerous and not confront him.

Anyone with information on the man’s identity should call 360-452-4545 or email Officer Eric Walker at ewalker@cityofpa.us.

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Senior Staff Writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 55650, or at pgottlieb@peninsuladailynews.com.