It might have been nervousness, or perhaps a language barrier. Whatever the reason, three African-American men fled the gas station on Route 25A in Northport empty-handed after threatening an employee with both a knife and a gun in the early morning hours.
According to manager Musti Kondur, the men entered the store at approximately 4:00 a.m. Saturday morning. All three were wearing masks, making it difficult to identify them, but Kondur said they appeared to be in their mid-to-late twenties. They forced the clerk to sit behind the counter while one held a gun to his head. Another pressed a knife against his back while the third man disappeared into the office but came back empty-handed.
They told the clerk to open the cash register several times, but Kondur said the man doesn’t understand English very well. When he failed to open the register, Kondur thinks the men either panicked or just grew frustrated and fled the building.
The employee immediately called police. Kondur said several Suffolk County Police Officers were on the scene within minutes with police dogs, scouring the area for evidence. They removed the tape from the security camera, which Kondur hopes will yield some clues to their identity.
In a twist of irony, Kondur said the night clerk is the same employee who was working when Metro Mart was robbed a few years ago. He said the man, who works the 10:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. shift, plans on being back as usual Saturday night.
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