Gunman opts to rob, not borrow

An armed man wasn't looking for a loan Monday when he walked into an East Carson City check-cashing business.

"Gimme your money, I need it," the terrified clerk recalled the man saying in a thick Hispanic accent as she stared into the barrel of a handgun. When what she had in the cash drawers wasn't enough, he ushered the clerk into the back of Advance America in the 3300 block of Highway 50 East and made her open a safe, Carson City Sheriff's Detective Richard Mendoza said.

It was empty.

Mendoza said the robber put his loot into a vinyl case and told the clerk to not call police for 20 minutes.

"Then he changed it to 10 minutes - sympathetic" he said sarcastically.

Watching his shadow on the tiles of the ceiling as he exited the store, the clerk believes he headed south past Albertsons. Mendoza said once it was clear he was gone, she ran screaming to the business next door for help.

The robber is described as a Hispanic male in his mid-30s, 5 feet, 7 inches tall, weighing about 155 pounds with short dark hair, dark eyes and a mustache. He was last seen wearing a forest green ball cap, a gray shirt and baggy jeans.

The robbers phrase, "I need it," is telling, Mendoza said.

"It sounds like it was a desperation move, financial problems. He might not be too experienced at this," he speculated.

Anyone with information is asked to call the detectives at 887-2020, ext. 1400.

Contact F.T. Norton at ftnorton@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1213.