SAN ANTONIO – In just a few seconds, Ali Shaikh found himself facing a life-threatening situation.
While working an early shift at Sherry’s convenience store on Wurzbach Road, he encountered a man armed with a knife. This frightening experience began when the man approached him, asking, “Oh, can I get the cigar?”
Shaikh noticed the man earlier on the store’s surveillance cameras. The suspect was seen placing his bicycle behind the building and attempting to cover his face. To distract him, Shaikh engaged in conversation.
However, when Shaikh turned his back, the man lunged for hundreds of dollars’ worth of scratch-off lottery tickets. “He was jumping on me there to show me the knife, threatening me,” Shaikh explained. In a panic, he tried to press the store’s panic button, but mistakenly hit a key that locked the door automatically.
As the door locked, the suspect became more aggressive. Shaikh described how he dashed from the front to the back door, desperately trying to escape. Eventually, he managed to unlock the door, allowing the suspect to flee.
After the incident, Shaikh quickly called 911. When San Antonio police arrived a few minutes later, the suspect had already made his escape on his bicycle.
In response to this alarming robbery, Crime Stoppers has issued a public appeal for tips and information about the suspect’s identity. If you have any information, you can contact Crime Stoppers at (210) 224-STOP (7867).
