DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — A man disconnected power to a 7-Eleven, forced his way into the partially locked store, beat up a clerk, and emptied cash registers early Tuesday after his credit card was declined for coffee, police allege.
- Daytona Beach police released images of attacker
- Attacker pulled power meter off 7-Eleven
- Clerk thrown into window, dragged by hair
Daytona Beach police released security images Wednesday in hopes of generating tips leading to the attacker, who faces robbery and battery charges.
The attack happened at 2 a.m. Tuesday at 955 S. Ridgewood Ave. Two clerks — a man and a woman — said that’s when the power went out.
The male clerk rushed to the door but only had time to secure the center lock. He didn’t secure the top and bottom locks before the attacker forced open the door, according to police in a report.
The man grabbed the male clerk and threw him against the front window, breaking it. The clerk told investigators he fell down and told the attacker he would give him whatever he wanted.
The attacker then reportedly grabbed the clerk by the hair and dragged him behind the counter. The robber emptied both registers, kicked the clerk in the head and told him to stay down. Then he took off.
A woman who bought a cup of noodles just before the attack saw what happened as she sat in her vehicle in the parking lot. She called police, saying the attacker drove a black Nissan with tinted windows.
According to the police report, she did not “get a license plate number or see any additional distinguishing characteristics."
The wounded clerk told police officers the man had been in the store about one or two hours earlier. That’s when his card was declined for coffee.
Authorities found the power meter on the east side of the building was removed and thrown on the ground, landing several feet away from the 7-Eleven.
“The face of the power meter box was also removed, exposing the wiring,” a police report said.
The wounded clerk sustained a bruise over his left eye and an injury to his left shoulder. He was taken to Halifax Health Medical Center in Daytona Beach for treatment.
“Multiple additional officers responded to the area and conducted a canvass of the area for the suspect vehicle, which yielded negative results,’’ the police report said.
Tipsters are urged to call Crime Stoppers of Northeast Florida at 1-888-277-8477.
