DELTONA, Fla. – Volusia County Sheriff's Office investigators are searching for a man who they say robbed a Kangaroo gas station in Deltona early Thursday.
The robbery happened before 3 a.m. at the gas station at 1712 Doyle Road, the Sheriff's Office said.
A person robbed the cashier and fled toward a wooded area nearby, deputies said. After searching the area, deputies were still unable to find the suspect.
The Sheriff's Office said investigators obtained an arrest warrant after identifying the man from fingerprints left behind on a stick-up note.
The man, who was identified by the Sheriff's Office as Dennes Gutierrez-Fernandez, 24, passed a note to the 28-year-old clerk on duty, demanding money and threatening to shoot the clerk if she didn’t comply, deputies said.
While a gun wasn't seen, the clerk told authorities that Gutierrez-Fernandez kept his hands in a jacket pocket that had a bulge showing what appeared to be the grip of a gun, the Sheriff's Office said.
The clerk handed over the drawer to the cash register. Deputies said Gutierrez-Fernandez grabbed money and then fled out of the store.
Gutierrez-Fernandez left behind a key piece of evidence that linked him to the crime, however, the Sheriff's Office said.
No one was injured, and deputies are still actively investigating the robbery.
Deputies said investigators obtained the arrest warrant, charging Gutierrez-Fernandez with armed robbery and written threats to kill or do bodily injury.
While investigators haven't found a permanent address for Gutierrez-Fernandez, he’s known to have ties to the Polk County area, the Sheriff's Office said.
Anyone who sees Gutierrez-Fernandez or knows his whereabouts is asked to call the Sheriff's Office at 386-943-8276 or Crime Stoppers of Northeast Florida at 888-277-TIPS. The Sheriff's Office said information can also be submitted by downloading the smartphone app from the Crime Stoppers website. Tipsters to Crime Stoppers remain anonymous and can qualify for a reward of up to $5,000, deputies said.