Phoenix police are searching for a man who pulled a plastic bag over his head as a disguise and nearly suffocated when he robbed a Circle K on 75th Avenue and Thomas Road on Sept. 19.

The robber walked into the convenience store about 7 a.m. wearing a clear plastic bag over his face.

"It gives the impression, looking at the pictures, that he was using it kind of like a nylon to distort the appearance of his face," said Phoenix Police Silent Witness Sgt. Darren Burch.

He said he would shoot the clerk in the head if he didn't get the money from the register, Burch said. "But he was having problems with his airflow."

Once he tore the plastic-bag off, apparently to gain a breath, cameras in the store got a clearer shot of his face.

The clerk never saw a gun. After taking the money in the register, the robber fled north on 74th Avenue in a light-colored car.

The suspect is described as a 20- to 25-year-old Hispanic man, 5 feet 10 inches tall and180 pounds. He was wearing khaki pants and a dark shirt.

Anyone with information about the crime is asked to call Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS or 1-800-343-TIPS.