PORTLAND -- An employee was assaulted during an armed robbery at a Southeast Portland restaurant Thursday morning, police said.
The terrifying ordeal was captured on a surveillance camera which police now hope will help catch the robber.
The woman who manages the restaurant told KGW the suspect punched her several times in the face when she told him that the safe had a time delay and could not be opened. Then, he ordered her to open the cash register and fled with that money.
Officers were called just after 8 a.m. to the report of an armed robbery at the Lucky Spot restaurant and bar, near Southeast 148th Avenue and Stark Street, according to Sgt. Pete Simpson of the Portland Police Bureau.
"The victim told police the suspect entered the business armed with a handgun and demanded money," Simpson said.
The woman said he entered the restaurant with a rag over his face and she was about to ask him to take it off when it suddenly dawned on her that he was a robber.
The employee, who did want to be identified, said the safe is on a time delay and couldn’t be opened.
“He said, ‘don’t make me hurt you, I know you can open the safe,’ I told him I couldn’t," she said. "He walked back to the safe tried I couldn’t, and then he punched me.”
After he punched her a second time, the victim said the robber left with between $500 and $600 in cash.
The suspect was described as an African-American man, about 5 feet 8 inches tall, 35 years old, with a heavy build. He was wearing a black hat, gray clothes and black shoes.
Officers were searching the neighborhood.
KGW Reporter Mark Hanrahan contributed to this report
