Police are searching for a gunman who robbed a restaurant in Warminster and may be responsible for a string of other robberies in Bucks County.
The unidentified suspect entered Santucci’s Square Pizza & Restaurant on W. Street Road in Warminster Township late at night on September 1 as the business was closing.
“He broke through our screen door right as I was about to exit my office,” said Nick Carelli, who’s family owns the restaurant.
The armed robber demanded money.
“I tried to negotiate a little bit and told him we’re just employees, we don’t have access to that portion,” Carelli said. “But since I wasn’t by myself and had the kids there I got a little nervous about what he was going to do. He threatened to shoot us in the head if I didn’t open it up.”
Carelli told NBC10 the gunman wasn’t satisfied once the safe was opened up however.
“All we had was this change money, we had like coins and quarters and nickels for the cash register,” Carelli said. “I was like, ‘You can have that if you want.’ So I took all of them. It was like 50 pounds worth of coins.”
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The gunman was carrying a plastic shopping bag. Carelli was hoping the weight of the money would break the bag.
“Luckily it actually did rip his bag on his way out and I got most of my coins back which is great,” Carelli said. “They fell like a trail on the street, down Olive Street.”
The suspect has not been found. Police also believe he’s responsible for other robberies in the Bucks County area, including one at Perkins Restaurant & Bakery on York Road in Warminster in late August. During that incident, the manager was forced to the ground at gunpoint.
“The only thing that we really saw was that he had like a brownish reddish beard or a goatee that stuck under his mask,” Carelli said. “He was a big guy. He was about like 6’1, 220.”
Police say the suspect has carried a silver gun during all of the robberies and normally strikes around the same time.
“His hands and his body is covered in all black,” Warminster Township Police Chief Jim Donnelly said. “Same duration of time. Moments in. Moments out.”
If you have any information on the suspect, please call Warminster Township Police.
