Robber waits to finish Encinitas holdup
ENCINITAS —- An unusual thief waited 10 minutes to finish robbing a video store
in the Cardiff area of Encinitas, authorities said Wednesday.

ENCINITAS —- An unusual thief waited 10 minutes to finish robbing a video store in the Cardiff area of Encinitas, authorities said Wednesday.

Sheriff’s Lt. William Donahue said the lone robber entered Blockbuster Video at 415 Santa Fe Drive about 11 p.m. Tuesday.

“He removed a black handgun from his sweatshirt, placed it on the counter,” Donahue said.

The thief told the clerks to give him the money in the cash register, and they did, said the lieutenant. Then the gunman demanded the money in the store’s safe.

“A clerk said the safe was on a timer and it wouldn’t be open for 10 minutes,” Donahue said.

He said the robber gave back the money from the cash register and waited until the safe could be opened. When it was time, the lieutenant said, the gunman took the money from both the safe and the cash register.

“He then told the clerks to wait five minutes before calling anybody and left,” Donahue said.

Encinitas sheriff’s detectives are investigating.