A Charlotte Robbery Gone Wrong Leads to One Family’s Devastation

A Charlotte robbery gone wrong has left one family devastated.

On Friday afternoon, 15-year-old girl was working her first shift at Burger King when she was allegedly robbed by a man wearing a mask. Now CMPD is asking for assistance in locating the suspect.

Police report that the suspect entered the store, pulled a gun, and demanded money from the clerk. He reportedly took $130 before departing with it. According to witnesses, she was left alone with him when her co-workers fled, leaving her vulnerable alone with this individual.

Detectives with CMPD said they are still actively investigating the robbery, but haven’t arrested anyone yet. To help solve the case, the department is appealing for public assistance in locating both the suspect and his getaway car.

“We need your help in identifying him,” CMPD spokeswoman Angela Williams informed PEOPLE on Friday. The agency also posted photos of the suspect with a tattoo on his left hand.

Anderson and Lopez are accused of multiple robberies, including one at a Circle K gas station on South Tryon Street that occurred at 1:04 a.m. The pair entered the store with a shotgun and stole cash from both the safe and register.

Anderson and Lopez also targeted Target at University Plaza shopping center on Westway Drive and Walgreens pharmacy on W.T. Harris Boulevard in east Charlotte with balaclavas to conceal their faces during the robberies.

Since July, when a second armed robbery at Burger King in east Charlotte was reported, police have been on the hunt for these two individuals. They are wanted on numerous charges due to a wealth of evidence against them.

Walgreens was just the latest victim of an ongoing string of armed robberies in east Charlotte, including at Target and Circle K stores. To date, 14 robberies have been reported this year within the city limits.

Investigators still do not know how Anderson and Lopez were able to rob all these businesses, but they do possess evidence linking them together. According to U.S. Attorney Dena King’s news release, they allegedly used zip ties to secure the doors of each store they robbed during their spree.

Prosecutors are eager to hear from anyone with information regarding this crime. You can contact the Central Metro Police Department (CMPD) via phone at (704) 432-TIPS, or through your social media accounts.

Investigators are still trying to figure out why Anderson and Lopez targeted gas stations near their home in east Charlotte. Additionally, they’re investigating whether or not they had other planned targets before attacking these establishments, according to a news release from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD).

King stated in her announcement that the investigation into these crimes is being done collaboratively between CMPD and FBI. Prosecutors and officers are searching for anyone who saw or heard about the robberies before they were arrested.

The FBI is searching for witnesses who may have been in the vicinity when Anderson and Lopez were involved in a series of robberies or attempted robberies over the last several months. They want anyone who saw them carrying guns or driving any vehicles at the time of these offenses.