Police are searching for a suspect who robbed the Shell gas station in Camp Verde at knifepoint, taking over $200.
The incident took place Friday, July 16, at around 3:50 a.m., according to the Camp Verde Marshal’s Office. Deputies responded to the gas station, located at 1673 W. State Route 260 in Camp Verde, after receiving reports that the gas station had just been the victim of an armed robbery.
When officers arrived, they spoke with the clerk who was on duty. The employee said that an unknown man wearing a black face mask had entered the store, approached them at the counter and handed them a black bag.
The suspect then showed the clerk he had a knife and demanded they fill the bag with money. The clerk did as the robber asked and filled the bag with an undisclosed amount of cash, Lt. Stephen Butler said.
“Usually we do not give this [the amount taken] out for investigative reasons. Ballpark amount was over $200,” Butler said.
After receiving the cash they demanded, the suspect then left the store and headed east.
While describing the assailant to police, the clerk said he was a white man around 30 or 40 years old. He was wearing a dark blue hoodie, a black face mask, blue jeans and white tennis shoes at the time of the robbery.
Armed robbery is not common in Camp Verde; the last reported case was in 2018. But because police have little to go off of, they cannot say for sure at this time whether the robber was from the area or just passing through.
“We have no leads or description of the suspect to go off of. They could be from anywhere,” Butler said.
Butler said the clerk at the Shell did the right thing by giving the robber what they asked for and said it is important when faced with a situation like that to try to pay as much attention to detail as possible.
“[It’s best] for the victim[s] to not resist but become the best witness they can be. Remember the best they can of all details about the subject,” he said.
Yavapai Silent Witness has put up a $600 reward for anyone who can provide information leading to the identification and arrest of the suspect.
Anyone with information regarding the incident should contact the Camp Verde Marshal’s Office at 554-8300 or Yavapai Silent Witness by calling 1-800-932-3232 or by submitting an anonymous tip online at yavapaisw.com.
