Victims of a serial robber say he's dressed as if he is on his way to church, but police believe the man is behind as many as 24 robberies in San Bernardino County, they said Wednesday.
At a Circle K store at Citrus and Baseline avenues in Fontana, the store clerk says he was approached by a man wearing a nice button-up shirt and a fedora hat. Oscar Amador said he was not prepared for what happened after the pleasant-looking man walked around, grabbed a bag of chips and some candy.
Surveillance footage shows Amador asking the man: "How's it going?"
The "polite" man responds, "I'm good man. Open up the registers," while cocking a gun.
Without hesitating, Amador and his coworker open the registers.
"I was staring at the gun," Amador said, recalling the encounter. "He didn't cover his face, he didn't have any gloves. This guy meant business."
Fontana police say the man has done this nearly 24 times in the past two weeks.
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Surveillance video from another robbery at a cell phone store shows the man in a nice button-up shirt and hat as he pretends to be on the phone before the hold up.
"He's armed with a gun, taking control of the situation," Lt. James Escarpa of Fontana police said. "He's taking what he wants. It shows he's not afraid of the law."
Police believe the man is about 6 feet tall and may know the San Bernardino and Fontana areas well.
He is sometimes seen getting into a getaway car, described as an older model silver Ford Focus. Police had no other information.
