7-Eleven clerk outsmarts would-be robber at North Side gas station

A man fled from police after being cuaght trying to rob a 7-Eleven on the North Side Thursday morning. A man fled from police after being cuaght trying to rob a 7-Eleven on the North Side Thursday morning. Photo: 21 Pro Video Photo: 21 Pro Video Image 1 of / 48 Caption Close 7-Eleven clerk outsmarts would-be robber at North Side gas station 1 / 48 Back to Gallery

SAN ANTONIO — A man who tried, and failed, to rob a 7-Eleven on the North Side was run down by police in a Walmart parking lot Thursday morning and arrested.

The suspect walked into the store in the 12200 block of Nacogdoches Road around 3:15 a.m. with a bandana covering his face, according to police.

Officers said the suspect demanded cash from an employee, telling him that he had a gun but didn’t want to point it at him.

The clerk told the suspect he couldn’t open the register unless he had a customer, so suspect went back outside of the store to wait for a customer to walk in so he could grab money from the register, police said.

As he did, the clerk hit a silent panic alarm alerting the authorities.

A customer walked in shortly after and made a purchase, but the clerk quickly shut the cash drawer again.

Police pulled up shortly after and the suspect took off on foot, throwing what appeared to be a gun into some grass nearby, according to officers.

Police were able to catch up to the suspect across the street and arrest him.

Officers picked up the weapon the man threw and determined that it was an Airsoft gun.

mdwilson@express-news.net

Twitter: @MDWilsonSA