Armed, masked man fires shotgun, tries to rob Santa Rosa market

A masked and armed would-be robber fired his shotgun inside a small Santa Rosa market late Tuesday when the terrified clerk couldn’t open the locked cash drawer but the man left with nothing after both he and the clerk couldn’t open the drawer, according to Santa Rosa police.

Officers were called to Harry’s Market in the 500 block of West Ninth Street just before midnight. The clerk described a masked man in a distinct black-and-white striped polo shirt who walked in, pulled a shotgun from inside his jacket, aimed it at the clerk’s head and demanded he open the drawer.

When he couldn’t, the man fired past the clerk’s head, Sgt. Josh Ludtke said. The armed man then joined the clerk in trying to force open the drawer before giving up and leaving.

Police searched the area but didn’t find anyone matching the description of a man, who wore a black ski mask, black soft shell jacket, polo shirt, black sweat pants or jeans, and white running-style tennis shoes. He was about 5 feet 7 inches with a thin build.

Wednesday afternoon detectives released surveillance photos of the man. Anyone with information is asked to contact detectives at 707-543-3590.

A reward of up to $2,500 will be given for information leading to the man’s arrest and conviction. The money is from a community safety fund offered by the Sonoma County Alliance.

-Randi Rossmann