ORMOND BEACH -- The Volusia County Sheriff's Office is investigating a Sunday morning armed robbery of a convenience store near Ormond Beach during which the suspect came into the store brandishing a knife and demanding money. But he was startled when the clerk lunged at him with a knife of his own and the suspect fled empty handed.
The store clerk was not injured, but it's not known if the suspect was cut by the clerk, said Brandon Haught, Sheriff's spokesman.
The incident happened at approximately 5:54 a.m. at Lil' Champ Food Store, 2460 Ocean Shore Blvd., Ormond Beach. The 53-year-old clerk told responding deputies that
he was alone in the store restocking cigarettes when he saw what he said was suspicious activity going on outside. It looked like a man was covering his face with something. The clerk steeled himself for a possible confrontation by pulling out a pocketknife and having it ready.
A man then walked into the store with his face covered and immediately jumped up onto the counter, brandishing a knife and demanding money. The would-be robber swung the knife at the clerk, but the clerk then lunged back with his own knife in self-defense. The clerk had struck at his assailant's chest area, but it's unknown if the pocketknife penetrated the suspect's jacket.
"This startled the suspect, causing him to jump back off the counter and run toward the door," Haught said. "Before leaving, though, he grabbed a nearby bottle of suntan lotion and
threw it at the clerk. Finally, he fled the store empty handed."
The suspect was described as a white male in his early 20s, 5 feet 10 and stocky. He wore a dark colored jacket and dark, long shorts.
Anyone with information about the robbery is asked to call the Sheriff's Office at (386) 323-0151 or Crime Stoppers of Northeast Florida, toll-free, at (888) 277-TIPS. Tipsters can also provide information by texting "TIP231 plus the message" to CRIMES. Anyone who provides information to Crime Stoppers will remain anonymous and
can qualify for a reward of up to $1,000.