A masked assailant robbed the Orton's convenience store in East Grand Forks at knifepoint Thursday night, making off with an undisclosed amount of cash.
At about 9:18 p.m., East Grand Forks police received a call that Orton's Tesoro station at 504 Rhinehart Drive had been robbed, a press release said.
The suspect, who was described as wearing a red, checkered shirt and a gray ski mask, entered the store with a knife and demanded money.
The man was identified as a white male, 20 to 25 years old, 6 feet tall and weighing between 140 to 150 pounds.
He threatened the store's two employees before fleeing southbound on foot with the cash, police said.
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Orton's Vice President Frank Orton said his first concern was with the store's employees and customers.
"Absolutely, that's the first thing we check on," he said Friday. "I was not made aware of it until (Friday) morning. Employees' and customers' safety (is our top priority). The money is secondary."
Officers and a K-9 unit searched the area but were unable to track down the suspect, police said.
With violence being threatened, Orton said the clerks handled the situation correctly.
"We train them to give the request for money and get them out of the store," he said.
A number of other agencies joined the search, which lasted several hours, including the Polk County Sheriff's Office, Grand Forks police and the U.S. Border Patrol.
The East Grand Forks Orton's was closed Thursday following the robbery but reopened Friday.
There are 14 Orton's convenience stores throughout northwest and central Minnesota and one in Grand Forks.
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Reach Bieri at (701) 780-1110; (800) 477-6572, ext. 118; or send email to cbieri@gfherald.com .
