_

Crystal River - An armed robbery was reported to Sheriff’s Office dispatchers at 11:07 Tuesday night by the Circle K located at 400 S. Suncoast Boulevard.

The two clerks told responding deputies that the lone suspect entered the front doors of the convenience store and came up to the counter.  As he asked for a carton of cigarettes and all the money in the register, he displayed a handgun on the countertop.

An undisclosed amount of cash, plus the cigarettes, was handed over to the man, and he exited the store the same way he walked in.  The suspect proceeded to disappear behind the store, heading in a westerly direction.  It’s unknown at this time whether a vehicle was waiting for him.

The witnesses described the robber as a white male, in his early to mid-20s, approximately 5 feet 5 inches to 5 feet 9 inches tall, with a thin build.  The young man has reddish-brown hair, pale skin and acne on his cheeks.  He was last seen wearing a dark-colored baseball cap, a dark-colored bandana around his neck, dark, baggy shorts and dark shoes, plus a light-blue windbreaker with black stripes running down the sleeves.

The agency’s helicopter, K-9 team, ground units and crime scene technicians all responded to the scene, but the suspect wasn’t located.

Anyone with information about this crime or the identity of the suspect is asked to contact 911, or Crime Stoppers of Citrus County, Inc., by texting CITRUS plus your tip to 274637 (CRIMES), clicking on www.crimestopperscitrus.com or calling 1-888-ANY-TIPS toll-free.  Tipsters may remain completely anonymous and be eligible to receive a cash reward of up to $1,000.

Or contact Det. Brian Spiddle directly at (352) 422-7077.