JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Police are looking for a robber who snatched a rifle from an 18-year-old man in the parking lot of a BP gas station on Normandy Boulevard last month, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said.
Surveillance images of the man sought in the robbery, which was reported just after 5:30 p.m. Feb. 23, were released Monday by the Sheriff's Office.
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A man approached a teen in the gas station's parking lot, and began yelling at him, asking "what he had for him and if he remembered him," the police report said.
The teen, who was getting gas, replied that he didn't know him, but the man continued to get closer, police said.
That's when the victim "felt scared and pulled out his rifle," according to the JSO incident report.
The man then reached into the victim's car and grabbed the rifle from the teen's hands, police said.
Investigators said the robber then drove off in the car pictured above.
"Once he approached his car and reached into the car and took the gun, that's a different situation," said News4Jax crime and safety analyst Gil Smith. "But before any of that happens, the best thing he could've done was just drive off and you won't have the situation to deal with."
Smith said if you're ever faced with a situation where you feel the need to use a gun, be sure of two things: You're prepared to use it and make sure that you are justified in using it.
He also advised that everyone should have a list of serial numbers of their weapons if they own any. That way, if they are stolen, police can be contacted and it will be easier for them to input into databases as well as track down in they're pawned, according to Smith.
Employees at the BP gas station told News4Jax that the accused robber is a customer who stops by frequently, and they were shocked to learn that police are looking for him.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Sheriff's Office at 904-630-0500 or email JSOCrimeTips@jaxsheriff.org. To remain anonymous and receive a possible reward up to $3,000, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS.