JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Publix in Mandarin was robbed with a bomb threat Thursday night, and the culprit remains at large, Jacksonville police said.
Shortly after 8 p.m. Thursday, a man handed an employee written bomb threat that included the sentence, "You're not going to like me very much," at the grocery store on San Jose Boulevard, just north of Interstate 295.
Police reports show a man went into the Publix and demanded $6,000 from a cashier. The cashier told the man he didn't have that much cash, so the robber told the cashier to give him what he had.
The man grabbed the money after he handed the cashier a note with a bomb threat. Before running off with the money the robber also grabbed a gallon of milk, the report said.
The Publix store was evacuated and bomb-sniffing dogs were brought in, but no explosive device was found and no injuries were reported.
"We are thankful our customers and associates are safe," said Dwaine Stevens, media and community relations manager, Publix Super Markets.
Word of what happened spread quickly. Some customers were not surprised and said bad things happen everywhere.
"Desperate people get desperate and it’s sad. I think we all need to love each other and not give fire to this type of stuff. Stand together, strong," said Publix shopper Brittni Mondragon.
The Sheriff's Office continues to investigate. Anyone with information is asked to call JSO at 904-630-0500. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS.