SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - An armed man tried to hold up a Grantville 7-Eleven store early Monday morning, but he left the business empty-handed after the clerk refused to give him any money.
San Diego police said the incident happened at about 3:30 a.m. at the 7-Eleven store in the 6400 block of Mission Gorge Road.
Clerk Chris Hoover was working the overnight shift when he said a man with a red-colored beard carrying a backpack entered the store with his hood on. Hoover said he told the man he would be right with him but asked that he take his hood off.
"It's not raining outside, it's not really cold outside," said Hoover.
The man then pointed a silver gun at the Hoover and demanded cash.
"He proceeded to tell me, 'Take out your money or I'll shoot you,'" said Hoover.
Hoover refused the order, saying, "I'm like, 'I'm not taking any money out the drawer, I'll tell you first and foremost.' I told him, 'I'm not taking the money out. You can take whatever you want from the store, but I'm not taking any money out,'"
The man made another demand for money, and Hoover again said no despite the gun still being pointed at him.
Hoover said he even told the man there was no money in the register because of a recent shift change.
He also told the armed man a police officer was in the parking lot, even though there really wasn't one in the area. Hoover said he told the man that if he left, he wouldn't tell police.
Hoover said, "I told him, 'I'll give you a chance. You can leave right now and I won't call the cops. He told me, 'You promise?' I said, 'Yes, I promise.'"
As the armed man looked outside, Hoover pushed the silent alarm behind counter.
According to Hoover, as the man started to leave, he turned around and pointed the gun at him again.
"[He] stopped, came back, took the gun back out, told me, 'Give me your ID.' I said, 'Why do you need my ID?' He said, 'Because if you're lying, I'm going to come find you,'" said Hoover.
Again, Hoover refused and the armed man fled the store.
"He ain't getting [expletive] from me. In my head, I thought I'm going to give him the money, he's going to shoot me anyway," Hoover told 10News.
Police said they are using surveillance video to help them identify the man, who was wearing a hooded sweatshirt and black pants. His backpack had reflectors on its straps.
Hoover's actions are not recommended by police, and the clerk told 10News his boss wasn't too happy with his decision.
