Pet Store Clerk Pepper Sprayed During Robbery

LUTZ, FL — Hillsborough County deputies are asking for help identifying a man accused of robbing the Lutz Pet Supermarket on Tuesday.

According to the agency, a man walked into the 18445 U.S. 41 N. store just before 9 p.m. Jan. 3. The man demanded money from a clerk. When the clerk asked if the man was armed, “the suspect pepper sprayed the employee in the face,” an email from the agency said.

The man was given cash and then fled the area in a dark, four-door sedan. The vehicle is possibly a newer model Honda, the email said.

Deputies say the suspect is a white male between the age of 25 and 30. He stands about 5-foot-10 to 6 feet in height and is estimated to weigh about 140 to 160 pounds. The man was last seen wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt with a dark letter design on the chest. He also had on a ball cap with a red bill, blue jeans, black shoes and blue latex gloves. Deputies say the man used a red bandanna to cover his face.

Anyone with information about the suspect is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-873-TIPS. That organization is offering a reward of up to $3,000 for information that leads to an arrest.

Photos courtesy of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office