Unarmed man robs clerk of night deposit at ATM

BRANDON (FOX 13) - Hillsborough County Sheriff's Deputies are trying to identify a man that robbed a store clerk while he was depositing cash at an ATM.

What sets this ATM robbery apart from most: the suspect was unarmed.

September 24 around 10:30 p.m., a wireless communication store manager arrived at the Bank of America on Parsons Avenue South in Brandon to deposit cash for the business, just like he had done dozens of times before.

He did not want to be identified but said, "I was standing there going to deposit the money, and next thing I know, I hear a scuff."

That scuff was the other man walking toward him. The store manager thought maybe the other guy was just in line for the ATM until, " he goes, 'give me the money.' I said, 'No,' and then he kind of moved his hand like he had something, and I was like, 'here, just take it.'"

The manager said he handed over $1,700 before turning back to the ATM to finalize the failed transaction.

He then called 911.

"I was honestly terrified. I have never had anything like this happen before," he said. "I'm not going to risk my life for anybody's money. In all honesty, money is not worth anything. You can't replace a life. You can replace money."

Because there wasn't a weapon used in the robbery, the victim said detectives asked him if it was an inside job or if he was in on it.

He said no, "it was a terrifying situation, and I hope I never run into anything like that ever again. I hope the guy gets caught."

The Hillsborough Sheriff's Office released the following description of the man they're looking for: Black male, 5'11" to 6'1", 170 lbs., wearing a black beanie cap, black sweatshirt with (NYC) on the front, black baggy shorts and dark tennis shoes.

CrimeStoppers of Tampa Bay is offering a reward of up to $3,000 for information that leads to the identification and arrest of the unknown suspect in this case. Anyone with any information regarding this case and who wants to be eligible for a cash reward is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-873-TIPS (8477), report anonymously online at www.crimestopperstb.com or send a mobile tip using our new P3 Tips Mobile application, which is a free download for iPhones and Droids.