Suspect Sought In Berkeley McDonald's Armed Robbery
BERKELEY (CBS 5/BCN) - Berkeley police were still trying to identify an armed man who robbed a McDonald's restaurant near the Berkeley-Albany border early Wednesday morning.
At about 5:15 a.m., a male suspect wearing a black ski mask and dark clothing entered the McDonald's, located at 1198 San Pablo Ave. in Berkeley, and pointed a gun at a male employee who was preparing to open the restaurant, police spokeswoman Sgt. Mary Kusmiss said.
The suspect hit the employee on the head with the gun and forced him to hand over cash, Kusmiss said.
He then ordered the employee and three other workers to get into the restaurant's freezer, according to Kusmiss.
She said the suspect then apparently fled on foot, leaving a trail of cash in an alley north of the restaurant.
After he was gone, the employees called 911 and Berkeley police arrived at the restaurant to tend to the employees and secure the crime scene, Kusmiss said.
The employee who was hit with the gun suffered a cut to his head, but the injury was minor and Berkeley Fire Department paramedics treated him at the scene, she said.
Because the suspect was wearing a ski mask, the McDonald's employees weren't able to provide a detailed description of him, Kusmiss said.
She said detectives don't think the crime is related to a series of robberies of pedestrians that has occurred in Berkeley in recent weeks.
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