Santa Rosa police: Ice cream first, armed robbery second

An armed man walked into an east Santa Rosa ice cream shop Wednesday morning and asked for an ice cream cone.

Then he asked for money.

Holding the cone in one hand and a pistol in the other, the man told a clerk at the Yulupa Avenue Baskin-Robbins to “Give me all the money,” said Santa Rosa police Sgt. Dave Linscomb.

The man put down the cone to reach into the cash drawer but the clerk shut the drawer on his hand. He left without either cash or the cone, Linscomb said.

Authorities said the man may have driven from the 11:30 a.m. attempted robbery in Santa Rosa to Windsor, where a tanning salon was robbed about 12:20 p.m.

In that incident, a man went into the Tropical Tan on Brooks Road South brandishing a black handgun, demanded cash and left with an undetermined amount, said Windsor Police Chief Carlos Basurto. No one was hurt during the robbery.

The robbery caused police to briefly lock down nearby Windsor Creek Elementary and Windsor Middle School due to their proximity to the crime, while about 15 deputies and police officers searched the area, aided by the sheriff’s helicopter. No arrests have been made.

The description of the tanning salon’s robber as an armed white man in his 40s, wearing a green shirt, jean shorts or jeans, sunglasses and carrying a backpack was similar to an employee’s description of the unsuccessful Santa Rosa ice cream shop robber: a white man, in his 30s or 40s, wearing a blue shirt, blue shorts, white hat and sunglasses, carrying a green backpack.

Authorities asked anyone who sees the suspect or has information to call 911 or Santa Rosa police detectives at 707-543-3590.

You can reach Staff Writer Randi Rossmann at 707-521-5412 or randi.rossmann@pressdemocrat.com.