Police investigate Home Depot armed robbery

ATASCADERO, Calif. – Police are investigating an armed robbery that happened at a Home Depot in Atascadero on Saturday afternoon, according to the Atascadero Police Department (APD).

APD said that the department received a 9-1-1 call from a Home Depot employee just before 4:00 p.m. saying that a clerk had been a victim of an armed robbery.

According to the investigation, a man described to be about 5 foot 9 walked into the nursery wearing a grey neck "gator" that covered his face, grabbed a power tool, placed it on the check-out counter and demanded the clerk to give him all the money in the cash drawer.

Police said that the man threatened the clerk by lifting up his shirt to show her the handle of a black pistol in his waist band and again demanded that she give him the money.

The clerk said she could not open the drawer until the transaction for the tool was completed, and that the man then picked up the box and walked out of the store, according to APD.

For help identifying the man, police said that in addition to the face covering, he was described to be wearing blue jeans, a tan colored hat, a black shirt with a star on the back and a grey colored long sleeve shirt underneath with a black wrist watch on his left wrist. 

Police said he was last seen getting into a dark green older model Honda Civic and leaving the area.

The Atascadero Police Department said this robbery is still under investigation and encourage anyone who may have more information to call the department at 805-461-5051