Stun-gun wielding bandits wanted in Palo Alto beer heist

Palo Alto police are looking for the man pictured above after he allegedly stole $40 worth of beer from a 7-Eleven and his accomplice threatened workers with a "Taser-like" weapon. Palo Alto police are looking for the man pictured above after he allegedly stole $40 worth of beer from a 7-Eleven and his accomplice threatened workers with a "Taser-like" weapon. Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Stun-gun wielding bandits wanted in Palo Alto beer heist 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

Two men with an apparent thirst for beer made off with $40 worth of suds from a Palo Alto 7-Eleven Wednesday night after one of them threatened employees with a “Taser-like” weapon, police said.

Reports of a brew robbery at the convenience store at 708 Colorado Ave. came in about 11:40 p.m. Wednesday night, police said.

The incident unfolded after an employee outside on break spotted a sedan with four people inside parking at a nearby lot. One passenger got out and started a friendly conversation with the employee, while another went inside the store.

Soon, that man ran out of the store carrying two cases of beer, chased by two employees, both in their 50s, police said. Then, all three employees started running after the beer bandits as they headed back to their getaway car.

The suspect who had waited outside “brandished a TASER-like weapon at them and caused the electricity in it to arc,” police said. No injuries were reported.

That’s when the pursuing employees backed off and the group fled east on Colorado Avenue in a black, four door sedan.

The accomplice wielding the weapon is believed to be in his 20s and described as 6 feet tall, clean-shaven, with a thin build and short black hair. He wore a black hooded sweatshirt and black pants.

The other robber also appeared to be in his 20s and about 5 feet 5 inches tall with a medium build. He had on a gray hooded sweatshirt, khaki shorts, and black tennis shoes.

No description was given for the two people who were waiting in the getaway car .

Anyone with information on the holdup can call the Palo Alto Police dispatch center at (650) 329-2413. Anonymous tips can be e-mailed to paloalto@tipnow.org or sent via text message or voice mail to (650) 383-8984

Jenna Lyons is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: jlyons@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JennaJourno