3 rob Papa John's; attempt at gas station is thwarted

11/1/2000

Three men wearing bandanas to conceal their faces robbed Papa John's pizza shop, 3329 Dorr St., at gunpoint of an undetermined amount of money Monday about 90 minutes before a robbery attempt was made at the Toledo Citgo gas station, 801 South Byrne Rd.

Christopher Hicks, 21, was working behind the counter at Papa John's when the three men rushed him about 8:45 p.m. and told him to get onto the floor.

They yelled for him to open the cash drawer and asked where another employee was, police said.

Employee Jason Jones, 21, then came out of the store office with his hands raised. The men pushed him in front of the safe and told him to give them the money.

Mr. Jones handed over the money, and the men fled on foot.

A pizza driver, Jason Chandler, followed the men but lost them in the 3400 block of Inverness Avenue. Mr. Hicks told police he was hit over the head with a handgun during the robbery.

About 90 minutes after the pizza-shop robbery, three men tried to rob the gas station.

Mansor M. Asad said one of the men entered the store brandishing a 22-caliber revolver. Another man walked around the building, and a third drove up in a car.

The man inside the store pointed the gun at Manuel M. Asad, 22, who was behind the counter, and told him to hand over money, police said.

Mansor Asad said he approached the man and said if he wanted money, he would have to shoot him. Mansor Asad said the man looked scared and began pointing the gun at other people in the store. Two gunshots then were heard outside the store. The robber backed out of the store without taking anything and ran east into a neighborhood.

The man who walked around the building fled, and the car sped north on Byrne, police said.

Police are investigating whether the two incidents are related.