The incident occurred at about 7:40 a.m. at Palo Alto Shell, 2200 El Camino Real, near College Avenue, Palo Alto police said in a news release.
Two men, one in his 50s and the opposite in his 40s, stopped on the gas station to make a delivery. The younger man went inside to get paperwork signed while the older man stayed with the truck.
The elderly man was working contained in the 16-meter-long trailer when he heard footsteps and turned around. He saw two men. One of them reached for a bulge in his waistband and warned the person to “stay back,” police said.
“The victim assumed the suspect might have a weapon,” police said, “but none was seen or displayed.”
The robbers cut plastic sheeting from a pallet and handed several crates full of cigarettes to a 3rd man who remained outside the truck, police said. The third man then dumped the cigarettes from the crates into a more moderen SUV.
The trio left the gas station within the SUV, which was last seen heading west on College Avenue.
“The preliminary damage was estimated at $30,000,” police said.
According to police, the robbers were all of their twenties and wore dark clothing and ski masks over their faces.
The robbery is currently under investigation, police said. Police haven’t received any reports of comparable crimes in town recently.
Anyone with information concerning the case can contact police at 650-329-2413; those wishing to stay anonymous can call 650-383-8984, text or email paloalto@tipnow.org.
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