ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. – Police are investigating an attempted robbery at Van’s Pizza, located at 800 North Hughes Blvd.
On Sunday morning around 8 a.m., officers were called about an armed robbery at the restaurant.
When officers arrived, they spoke with the owner of Van’s Pizza, who said he was reviewing surveillance video and saw a man with a gun trying to enter the business.
The surveillance video shows the suspect trying to enter the business through the back door around 7:15 a.m. The suspect then walks to the dumpsters and isn’t seen until 7:30 a.m., when the first employee arrives at work.
When the first employee arrives, video shows him getting out of his car to put the trash in the dumpster. Then, he walks to the front of the store to open up, enters the store and locks the door behind him.
The suspect is then seen trying to open the front door. When he realizes the door is locked, he turns around and walks back toward the dumpsters.
When the owner arrived at the shop, he saw the suspect walking along side the building. He believed the suspect was an employee arriving to work, so he honked his horn at him. The suspect turned toward the owner and continued walking towards the dumpster.
The owner asked the employee inside of the store where the other employee was that was seen walking near the dumpster. The employee told the owner that he was the only employee there.
The owner became suspicious and took a look at his surveillance footage and later called police.
Officers searched the area, but did not locate the suspect.
The Elizabeth City Police Department urges anyone with information pertaining to this Attempted Armed Robbery to contact the Elizabeth City Police Department at (252) 335-4321 or the Elizabeth City Crime Line at (252) 335-5555. All information received will remain anonymous and strictly confidential.
