Lubbock Police are investigating an armed robbery at Picantes on 34th Street Friday evening at about 8:40 p.m.
“We were getting ready to go home and I was coming around the corner and the guy comes at me with a gun and just tells me to stay still,” Picantes Supervisor Leticia Palos said. “And then he went to the back and got everybody else and just pulled us all to a corner.”
Palos said two men in disguises came into the restaurant as they were closing. She added five employees and two customers were in the building at the time.
Lubbock Police said two suspects “held employees and customers at gun point” with a pistol.
“It happened so fast and the guys, they wore ski masks for one but I didn’t recognize them,” Palos said.
Palos told EverythingLubbock.com she had experienced an armed robbery before 20 years ago and used that experience, with the motivation of her grandchildren, to get her through this moment.
“I was able to try and see if he had tattoos and whatever which I did, and check and see if they had gloves on and I did,” Palos said.
However, she said the suspects didn’t head straight to the register.
“They didn’t take anything but our car keys, our cell phones, our personal things, or the money register or anything, Palos said. “And our tips, he took all of our tips.”
Lubbock police report no one was injured during the process.
“I would like to tell them that, why did they come and take so little and leave people with scars behind,” Palos said. “They hurt people. We’re all a grandmother, a mother, a sister, something, somebody.”
Palos returned to work in less than 12 hours of the armed robbery, to a restaurant full of support from the Lubbock community.
“It’s good to work here also, that’s why I never doubted to come back in the morning,” Palos said.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crimeline at 741-1000, it can be anonymous.
