Armed Robbers Strike Joppa Road Cafe

Baltimore County police are looking for two suspects in a Sunday evening armed robbery at Cafe Mykonos, located on Joppa Road. 

Just after 8 p.m., officers were called to the cafe, which is currently under renovation. According to reports, workers outside the building were approached by the suspects. One suspect was armed with a black semi-automatic handgun and the other carried a knife.

One of the victims, 41-year-old Ernesto Fernandez of Alexandria, VA, said he was walking to his van to get some tools when the suspects approached.

"They come and push me into my van and he's asking about money and sticking a gun in my face and he tells me 'Give me the money,'" he said.

Fernandez only had about $20 on him at the time, but the suspects demanded more. The suspects held Fernandez and the workers at gunpoint and forced them inside, where they robbed the other workers for a total of $350. The suspects demanded one worker's prepaid cell phone, then fled the scene.

Though police could not find any leads on the suspects, Fernandez said his workers said they may have seen the pair earlier Sunday, when they approached them and asked about potential work.

Fernandez said he had seen suspicious people in the area before later at night and the incident on Sunday left him traumatized.

"I feel really bad. That never happened in my life. I'm 41 years old and that has never happened in my life," he said. "I'm very scared. Now I'm just working until 5:30 p.m."

A phone number listed for the cafe is currently out of service, but when approached by a reporter, a worker at the site who was not present during the robbery confirmed that nobody was hurt and that the cafe is still on track to open next week.

Police are seeking two black males between the ages of 20 and 30. One is 6'0" and of medium build and the other is 5'8" and of large build.

Anyone with information about the identity or whereabouts of the suspects is asked to call Baltimore County Police at 410-307-2020 or Metro Crime Stoppers at 1-866-7-LOCKUP (1-866-756-2587). To text a message to Metro Crime Stoppers, send to "CRIMES" (274637), then enter the message starting with "MCS," or e-mail a tip to www.metrocrimestoppers.org. Those contacting Metro CrimeStoppers can remain anonymous and might be eligible for a cash reward of up to $2,000.