EXCLUSIVE: Suspects Serve Customers After Gas Station Robbery In Southwest Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- An Eyewitness News Exclusive – The father of a gas station clerk, shot and robbed, is speaking out and sharing what the suspects did following the heinous crime that left everyone amazed.
"That's real bold. I just don't understand that one."
To protect the victim, we are not identifying his father.
But we're told the suspects not only shot and robbed his 18-year-old son, who at the time was working at a Southwest Philadelphia Hess Gas station but police confirm, the suspects stuck around and served customers for several hours.
The victim's father explained, "He said he was told to stay quiet in the bathroom for two hours, while they were in there waiting on customers."
Lt. John Walker with the Philadelphia Police Department added, "In my career, that's the first time I've seen or heard something like this occur. Obviously they probably didn't feel like they got enough money, so they're going to sit there, take control of the business, offer gas at a discounted price and try to get additional money which is just bizarre."
Police now believe the same three suspects are responsible for at least two Hess station robberies in just five days: one on Passyunk Avenue last Wednesday and the latest on Island Avenue early Monday. According to police, in both cases, one of the suspects arrived wearing a Hess shirt and posed as deliverymen.
The victim's father said, "He said the first guy came in, he seen the shirt and he thought it was one of the deliveries. The second guy came in with a gun to his head. Next thing you know, he tried to hit him and the gun went off."
Fortunately, we're told the bullet just grazed the victim's head and the 18-year-old was treated and released. We're told the teen was working to make some extra cash while preparing to start college next month.
As for the investigation, in both cases, police say there were no surveillance cameras for investigators to review which is upsetting for the victim's father.
Hess responded on the phone: "We are fully cooperating with law enforcement as well as conducting our own internal investigation. Safety for our guests and our employees is very important to us. However, for security reasons, the company's safety measures cannot be discussed publicly." –Dennis Moynihan, Hess Spokesman
So for now, police are turning to the public for help and asking anyone with information to come forward.
"We know we had customers inside that business between the hours of 1am up until about 4:30am when this incident was reported. So we'd like to speak with some of those customers. They can call our tip line at 215-686-TIPS," Lt. Walker said.