An armed robber tied up a minimart worker and locked him in a bathroom during a hold-up in the Albany Park neighborhood on Wednesday morning, police said.

At 11:34 a.m., the offender walked into the Whipple Food Mart at 3035 West Lawrence, displayed a handgun, and forced the clerk into a restroom in the back of the store, according to a CPD spokesperson and information in a police report.

He restrained the 39-year-old employee with zip ties and strips of cloth and then took money from the man’s pockets before locking him in the bathroom. The offender then removed money from the cash register and fled, according to Police Officer Ana Pacheco, a CPD spokesperson.

Investigators determined that the robber headed westbound on Lawrence after the robbery. He is a tall white male between 50- and 60-years-old who stands about 5’10” tall and weighs 160-200 pounds, Pacheco said. He wore a long black jacket, blue jeans, and carried a gun inside an Aldi bag, the victim reported.

The victim was not injured. Area North detectives are investigating.

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