Masked man attempts drive-thru robbery in La Mesa

LA MESA (CNS) – A masked gunman attempted to rob a La Mesa fast food restaurant through its drive-thru window early Tuesday but fled empty-handed, police said.

An employee of the Carl’s Jr. at 8110 Parkway Drive called 911 shortly after midnight and said the suspect walked up to the outside window as the restaurant was closing, brandished a black semiautomatic handgun and demanded cash from an assistant manager, according to a La Mesa police statement.

The assistant manager did not hand over any money but, instead, fled and ordered the other employees to hide inside a walk-in freezer and call police, the statement said.

The suspect took off in an unknown direction, and was not located in a subsequent search that involved a sheriff’s department helicopter, police said.

Police described the suspect as black, about 5 feet 10 and thin, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt with gray horizontal lines and a black mask.

Anyone with information on the robbery attempt was asked to call La Mesa police at (619) 667-1400, or to contact Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477 or via email at sdcrimestoppers.com.