WREG.com

Robbery suspect accused of holding knife to Subway employee’s throat

MEMPHIS, Tenn. —  Memphis police are looking for the person who robbed a Subway restaurant in Cordova and held an employee inside at knife point.

The employee was in the backroom before opening on September 13 when surveillance video captured the suspect inside the Timber Creek Drive business.

Police say the suspect paced the lobby area before jumping the counter and going to the back around 6:50 a.m. He then surprised the employee from behind and put a large knife to her throat, according to MPD.

The woman told police the suspect demanded money and she complied. She handed him the register and he grabbed $400 before fleeing the scene on foot. She said he ran towards the Country Squire Apartments.

“It’s scary. It’s the world we live in now. Just because you live out here. You’re not protected from it,” customer Harold Moore said.

Moore says he often eats at the Subway, and especially enjoys the people who work there.

“They’re nice, and they always have young school kids. They give them an opportunity to work there, you know? They help the local community around here.”

He thinks they’ve become a target, saying this isn’t the first time he’s heard of them being robbed.

“It’s like the third time I know of,” Moore said.

In fact, the store’s owner told us they were robbed twice in three days.

After the robbery on September 13, the owner said they were hit again on Saturday night.

Back in 2016, we also told you about a suspect who stole money from the restaurant and its customers while equipped with a “jacket, mask and gun.”

He was never caught as far as they know.

Customers are hopeful someone will be held accountable, as they wonder whey the thieves keep coming back.

“Memphis has a lot of people who live right at the poverty level and below the poverty level. There are a lot of variables, so there’s no one answer,” Moore said.

The suspect accused of holding a knife to the employee’s throat has not been identified by police.

If you can help, call Crime Stoppers at (901) 528-CASH.