Man Waits in Line, Then Robs Supermarket

A patron patiently waited in a checkout line at a Ralphs supermarket Saturday afternoon and, when his turn came, pointed a gun at the clerk and cleaned out the cash drawer, Orange County Sheriff’s Lt. Rich Paddock said.

Witnesses gave investigators a description of the robber, which included a scar on his left cheek. A later tip led investigators to a nearby Edwards Theater complex, but by mid-evening no arrest had been made.

“We have officers sitting in the area, undercover and uniformed, waiting and watching folks as they come out,” Paddock said.

The robbery took place about 4:45 p.m. at the Ralphs in the 12800 block of Beach Boulevard, he said. No one was injured.

“He walked into the cashier’s line, and when it came his turn, he asked the clerk to open the drawer,” Paddock said. The clerk refused; the man pulled out a semi-automatic handgun, racked a round in the chamber and pointed it at her, Paddock said.

The clerk then opened the drawer and the gunman grabbed cash before fleeing, Paddock said.