Payday loan robbed

By Leslie Wood
Staff Writer

ABOVE, Gallup Police officer Andrew Antone, Jr places an individual in the back of his police car Friday morning on Buena Vista Ave. near Ford Canyon Park. The individual was wanted for questioning about the robbery of a PayDay Loan store on E. Hwy 66 and Verdi St. earlier that morning. He is no longer a suspect in the case and was released later that day. BELOW: evidence tape seals a car Gallup Police suspected was involved in the robbery of a PayDay Loan store After towing the car from Buena Vista Ave., where it was pulled over, and investigating it, Gallup Police determined that the car was not used in the crime and released it. [Photos by John A. Bowersmith/Independent]

GALLUP — A man, described as in his early twenties, robbed a local payday lender by gunpoint on Friday morning. This marks the second armed robbery within Gallup's city limits this week. Friday's suspect wore a darkly-colored pair of panty hose over his head to disguise his identity from the employees of the PayDay Loan located at Highway 66 and Verdi Street. He is described as Native American and about 5 feet 4 inches tall. His build is very thin, according to witnesses. He was last seen wearing a blue pull-over, white rubber gloves and blue dickey style pants. Capt. John Allen, a spokesman for the Gallup Police Department, said officers were dispatched to the location at about 10:30 a.m. in reference to the robbery. The man reportedly demanded cash from a store employee while grasping a black pistol in his hand. After the employee met his demands, he ushered the remaining employees into the business bathroom and lodged an unknown object underneath the door handle to prevent them from leaving the small room. However, his efforts were unsuccessful and the employees broke through the blocked door within minutes. Law enforcement questioned a man near Ford Canyon Park in connection with robbery late Friday morning. But Allen said the man is no longer a suspect. Allen said he is not certain whether Friday's robbery is connected to the robbery at Mataya's Phillips 66 on Wednesday. In that incident, two male subjects fled the gas station by foot with an undisclosed amount of money on Wednesday afternoon. Anyone with information about the robberies is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 722-6161. The organization is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of a suspect.