Would-be robber leaves Taco Bell empty handed

By Alan Riquelmy / Selma Times – Journal

The robbery took less than a minute Tuesday night, according to one witness at the Taco Bell on Highland Avenue , and he left empty handed.

The attempted robbery occurred shortly before 8 p.m.

According to Brown, the suspect came into the restaurant holding a gun slightly raised. He then pushed himself over the counter in an attempt to get to the store’s safe. Brown said two employees then ran out of the building to the Pizza Hut and called the police.

That’s when the suspect ran out of the Taco Bell and into the subdivision of houses north of the store without getting anything, Brown said.

Ellen Albright of Birmingham said the suspect barged into the store demanding money. He then jumped over the counter and tried to reach the safe.

Albright said that most of the employees ran to the back of the store near the freezer. She said that two of them ran out to the Pizza Hut.

The suspect saw that they had left, Albright added, and that’s when he ran out of the Taco Bell in pursuit.

Albright said she then lost sight of him.

While speaking with the Selma Police Department, Albright said that the suspect, a black male, was well built, not fat or skinny.

He was described as possible wearing a bandana, wearing a mask, and wore a gray shirt hanging out from under his clothes and black pants.

All those present at the time of the robbery were kept inside until police had a chance to interview them. An officer was placed at the door of the restaurant to ensure no unauthorized people entered.

One woman approached the officer asking him, &uot;What about my husband? What about my husband?&uot;

She grew even more frantic when the officer explained to her that she couldn’t enter the restaurant to check on her husband.

However, once her husband came to the door and told his wife to &uot;go back and lock the doors,&uot; the woman calmed and walked away.