UPDATE:

On Wednesday the Glendale Police Department was contacted by detectives from the Long Beach Police Department informing them that a similar robbery had occurred in their area on Jan. 18 and a partial license plate was obtained. Further investigation led to the positive identification of 41-year-old Jermeile Hairston. GPD discovered Hairston was in custody at Los Angeles County Jail where he was being detained on unrelated charges. Detectives went to the County jail and arrested Hairston for robbery.

The case remains under investigation.

Anyone with information regarding this case is encouraged to contact the Glendale Police Department at 818-548-4911. Callers can remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

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On Saturday at about 10:16 p.m., Glendale police officers were dispatched to the Gardenia Market and Deli located at 4121 Pennsylvania Ave. regarding a silent robbery alarm that had been activated.

On arrival, officers contacted the store’s employee who advised the officers that a male entered the market, walked toward the back of the store and then seemed to wait for customers to leave the store. The suspect then went behind the counter where the employee was seated. The employee got scared and jumped onto the counter when the male pulled out what appeared to be a blowtorch and a lighter. The male lit the blowtorch with the lighter and pointed it at the victim.

The suspect told the victim not to move and to give him the money. The victim stated he was scared and opened the cash register. The suspect reached inside of the cash register and took out the cash. The victim said the male then selected a bottle of vodka from the shelf and exited the store. The victim then hit the silent robbery alarm.

The victim described the suspect as a male black, about 37 years old with short black hair, brown eyes, approximately 5’5”-5’7” tall, weighing about 140-150 lbs. At the time he was wearing a black sweatshirt, blue shirt and black jeans. The victim said the male’s hands appeared dirty as if he were a mechanic.

The victim saw the suspect driving on Pennsylvania Avenue about four minutes before the robbery occurred. The vehicle is described as a brown or silver four-door 1990s Chevrolet Suburban with black primer on the driver’s side fender.

The victim also revealed the suspect visited the store approximately 15 minutes before committing the robbery and purchased a coffee and left.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to call the Glendale Police Dept. at (818) 548-4911. Callers can remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

  Mary Okeefe