By MARGIE TRAX PAGE - Staff Writer - mtrax@starbeacon.com
GENEVA — A brave pizza clerk foiled a would-be robber Wednesday night, using pizza boxes to chase the suspect out of the restaurant, Geneva police reports show.
Police Chief Dan Dudik said a tall white man entered Rosemary’s Pizza on East Main Street at 8 p.m. Wednesday and handed the clerk a note demanding money.
Dudik said the clerk read the note, noticed the man wasn’t holding a weapon, threw “several boxes” at the suspect and activated the silent panic alarm, which alerted police.
The suspect turned and ran from the restaurant, empty handed, Dudik said.
“The whole confrontation lasted maybe nine seconds,” Dudik said. “It was very fast.”
Dudik said no one was injured in the attempted robbery and the suspect left without any money.
Geneva and Geneva-on-the-Lake police officers, assisted by Ashtabula County sheriff’s deputies interviewed “multiple persons of interest in the case,” Dudik said.
“We went to several places in the area to speak to persons of interest and to eliminate potential suspects,” Dudik said, “but we have no suspects at this time.”
Dudik said the suspect was covered in black clothing and made sure to take his note with him when he ran from the pizza place.
“He made sure he took that note with him,” Dudik said. “The note would have been a valuable piece of evidence in this case due to the handwriting sample and potential fingerprints or DNA evidence.”
Dudik said witnesses described the suspect as a white man, about 5 feet, 10 inches tall, headed east from the scene.
“The man was dressed in black from head to toe,” Dudik said. “He was wearing a black (sweatshirt), black ski mask and black gloves. The only way the clerk knew he was white was because his shirt came up in the back as he fled the scene and showed the white skin under his shirt.”
Anyone with information regarding this case should call the Geneva Police Department at 466-1111.
