Police Looking For Man Who Robbed Store, Groped Employee

ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) -- St. Paul police are looking for a man who tied up an employee and robbed a cell phone store in the middle of the day on Sunday.

Investigators say the man walked into the Cricket Wireless store along West University Avenue around noon and robbed a lone employee at gunpoint.

A manager at the store said he is now checking surveillance video to try and get a picture of the robber out to the public.

He says the female employee working alone never felt unsafe before the weekend robbery.

Off camera, the manager said that a man walked into the store around and asked for help to buy a new prepaid phone.

When the employee went into the back room to grab the new phone, the man followed her and then pulled out a handgun.

Investigators say the man tied her up and groped her, before leaving with cash.

The manager says the man placed a phone in front of the woman he had tied up and told her she could call police after he left.

The suspect was gone by the time police arrived.

The manager says he believes the man had been to the store before, because the victim says he was familiar with employees' names.

The robber made off with about $1,800, but the manager says he doesn't care about the money.

He said the most upsetting part was that the suspect took advantage of the employee.

The man police are looking for is described as being in his 20s, about 5-feet, 11-inches tall, with a goatee and wearing all black.

Anyone with information on the robbery is asked to call St. Paul police.