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Crime & Safety

Homewood Police Investigate Rico's Pizza Robbery

Masked man wielding semi-automatic weapon fled with backpack of cash, police say.

Homewood police are searching for the man responsible for a strong-arm robbery that occurred at a local pizza restaurant over the weekend.

Police say around 10:50 p.m. Saturday, a masked man entered  carrying an orange and gray backpack and a black, semi-automatic gun.

Once inside, the man pointed the gun at both employees and ordered one to open the safe in the rear of the store and transfer the $355 inside to his backpack, police said. 

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According to police, the masked man then ordered both employees to the cash register and demanded the same employee to empty the cash, which totaled $500, into his backpack.

The unidentified man made both employees surrender their cell phones and lie flat on the floor, police said. The man deposited the cell phones into a garbage can, secured the backpack on his back and fled out the back door, according to police.

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After the robber fled, the employees called 911 and officers secured the area around the store, police said. According to the police report, investigators were able to access the video pizza store's CCTV system.

The male suspect is described as African-American, just under six feet tall, weighing between 150 and 170 pounds and dressed in a black jacket, black skull cap, black mask, black pants and black shoes.

"Unfortunately, we did get robbed," said Rico's store manager Cindy Vitale. "Very fortunately, employees were not harmed."

Homewood police declined comment on the strong-arm robbery, saying the investigation is pending.

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