Man robs store with 9-year-old in tow

This image released by the Kittitas County Sheriff's Office shows the robber, right, pointing a gun at the teller while a young girl, in pink, stands next to him.

Story Published: Mar 31, 2009 at 10:10 AM PDT

Story Updated: Apr 1, 2009 at 9:20 AM PDT

The robber walked into an AM/PM Mini Mart just off I-90 at exit 101 around 3 a.m. Tuesday, Kittitas County Undersheriff Clayton Myers said.

He approached the counter, drew a gun and demanded money from the register, Myers said. The clerk complied and the man then left with the little girl, without further incident.

"I don't think I've ever heard of a little girl with her dad on an armed robbery," Myers said. "How anyone could endanger a child like that? You never know how someone is going to react when you pull a firearm out. How the clerk's going to react, somebody walking in? Absolutely can't even imagine it."

Why would a man bring his daughter to an armed robbery?

"Sounded like a man in desperation," store manager John Beaty said. "Said something on camera to the effect of lost his job and trying to support his little girl. Tough times."

Beaty says the night clerk thought the gun was a phony and told the robber that.

"Right here the guy is threatening to throw hot coffee on him," Beaty said, while pointing to surveillance video.

The night clerk gave the man less than $200. The robber told his daughter to leave. Probably not realizing what has happened, the girl skipped to the car outside.

The robber spent a few more minutes in the mini-mart.

"He's sort of begging him: 'Just let me and my little girl get away,' " Beaty said.

Myers says the robber was in his late 30s to early 40s, about 5 feet 10 to 5 feet 11 inches tall with a neatly trimmed beard and mustache. He weighed about 190 pounds and had glasses, a dark color P-Coat, blue jeans and white tennis shoes. The robber at some point said his name was Robert.

The girl was described as roughly 9 years old with dark color length hair and was wearing a pink coat. Myers said her first name might be "Meadow." Officials asked that the girl's face be shown in the hopes that someone will recognize her and call police.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Kittitas County Sheriff's Office at (509) 925-8534.

In the meantime, police are looking at local schools and checking unemployment records.