Clerk Stabbed in West Main Street Store Robbery - Updated

Police are searching for the man they say stabbed a clerk in the face and neck at a West Main Street convenience store and stole the shop's cash register Tuesday afternoon.

Two customers called police after finding a clerk lying behind the counter at Sam's Food Store at 343 West Main Street before 1 p.m. Tuesday, police spokesman Sgt. Darrin McKay said at the scene.

When they first entered the store the customers did not see any employees, according to McKay, but as they walked around, they heard the clerk ask for help.

"They could not locate him until they went over to the counter, they subsequently found him lying behind the counter, injured and bleeding," McKay said. 

Police responded at about 12:57 p.m. and found that the store's cash register had also been taken.

The clerk, whose name has not been released, was taken to an area hospital with face and neck injuries, McKay said. Police said the man is in his early sixties.

"He is not believed to have life-threatening injuries, however, he's got quite a few slashes in the face area, so injuries are pretty significant," McKay said. He said there there was much blood behind the counter at the store.

Police do not know yet what type of weapon the assailants used to injure the clerk, McKay said. 

As of about 2 p.m., detectives were inside the building investigating the crime scene, and one of the city's two K-9 units was walking around the area, working to track suspects. The area, a bustling part of West Main Street, will be difficult for the dog to find a scent in because it is so heavily-trafficked, McKay said.

At the time, McKay said that police did not have any immediate suspects, nor did they know how many assailants were involved in the crime, but after viewing video surveillence, police released a photo just after 3 p.m. Tuesday afternoon of a man they say was caught on video robbing the store.

The suspect is described as being in his 20s or 30s with light- or medium-toned skin, with a medium to stocky build. He is seen in the photo (click HERE for the video still) as wearing a blue colored vest over a darker colored long-sleeve shirt, a blue baseball cap with tan brim and no logo, and red or orange sunglasses, according to police. Police urge anyone with information to contact them at 203-630-6201 or Det. David Visconti at 203-630-6252.

Sam's is a popular shop in the area, according to those who live and work nearby. It is a 24-hour convenience store that's been open since 2007, and part of a mostly state-wide franchise chain headquartered in Rocky Hill. At the scene, multiple onlookers walked up to ask what had happened and said they knew the clerks or owners.

James Kubeck, who works at Pizza Heaven up the street and lives on nearby Third Street said he delivers to the store and shops there often.

"They're good guys," Kubeck said of the clerks. "That's where I go at 2 in the morning to get food if I can't sleep."

Kubeck said he was surprised at the incident. The restaurant he works at had been burglarized previously, but it happened overnight – not in the middle of the day – and no one was hurt.

"You rarely see actual violence," he said. "I wish I was there, I wish someone had been there (to help)."

Updated Tues. 3:41 p.m.