Police search for shopping center robber in Ventura

The Police are looking for a suspect who robbed a Lowe’s and committed a theft at a Target in Ventura on Saturday.

Ventura Police received a 911 call of a robbery at the Lowe’s shopping center on the 500 block of S Mills Road around 3:18 p.m. As officers arrived, they learned that as the suspect was leaving the store, he activated the store’s security system. Allegedly the suspect brandished a knife at an employee who tried to contact the suspect as he was leaving.

Witnesses told officers that the suspect was last seen in the northeast parking lot of the Pacific View Mall. When officers were unable to find the suspect, they contacted Mall security to see if any security cameras recorded the suspect in the area.

Mall security informed officers that the suspect had committed a theft from Target about 15 minutes before the robbery committed at Lowe’s. Mall security told Police that the suspect was last seen running from Target north through the parking lot towards Trader Joes.

Around 5:24 p.m., Police received a 911 call regarding the same suspect attempting to enter occupied vehicles in the intersection of Mills and Maple. The driver of one of the vehicles pulled over while calling 911 and the suspect began to approach him. Police say the driver asked the suspect what was going on and the suspect threw one of the items stolen from Lowe’s at the driver and then brandished a knife.

Police are currently still looking for the suspect.