Food Giant robbed at gunpoint

Armed robbers stole an undisclosed amount of money from Food Giant on Sunday morning, police said.

The robbery occurred about 5:30 a.m. Sunday, Cape Girardeau Police public-information officer Sgt. Rick Schmidt said Monday.

The men held up a Food Giant employee at gunpoint and fled before police arrived, Schmidt said.

Schmidt said the amount of cash stolen still is being determined but will not be released.

“You don’t know right off the bat how much,” he said. “They’ve still got to go back and audit and see.”

Nobody was injured during the robbery, and police are not releasing information about who the suspects were or where they are believed to have gone after the robbery.

Schmidt said the investigation is ongoing.

He could not confirm whether security cameras in Food Giant had captured the robbery on videotape but said it was likely they did.

Schmidt said the crime was somewhat odd because robberies at grocery stores in the Cape Girardeau area are uncommon.

“It doesn’t happen very often, but it still happens,” he said. “I can remember a robbery-type incident at Schnucks, but it’s been probably 20 years ago.”

Schmidt said police still are seeking the public’s help and urged anyone who may have information about the robbery to call police at (573) 335-6621.

“Hopefully, we can find out who they are and pick them up. We don’t need that type of criminal walking the street. Those are the ones we need to pick up,” Schmidt said.

A Food Giant manager declined to comment, citing the ongoing police investigation.

tgraef@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3627