When Blimpie Subs and Salads employees didn’t make their usual afternoon deposit Friday, a lucky thief capitalized on their delay, stealing more than $800 from the lone register.
The thief, described by witnesses as a black male, fled the scene moments before Minneapolis police arrived. The man threatened restaurant employees, saying he had a gun; however, employees said they didn’t see any weapons.
No one was injured in the theft.
Two night employees complied with the thief’s demands, handing over all the money in the register.
“One of our employees even asked if he wanted the change,” said Paul Nelson, general manager of the restaurant.
It is unusual for the store to have more than a few hundred dollars on hand at night, Nelson said.
Nelson said his employees were very shaken by the robbery.
“We never thought of it being a threat because we’re on the corner and people are walking by,” Nelson said.
Minneapolis Police Sgt. Tom Rice said the department has some promising leads in the case. But police have taken no suspects into custody.
The robbery is the first ever for the year-old store, located on Washington Avenue in Stadium Village.
“It’s not a good thing, but it’s not going to pull us under,” Nelson said, adding that the store has theft insurance.
“You assume safety because of the visibility,” he said. “But I guess that’s not true.”

In other police news:

ù An unknown man allegedly assaulted a Minneapolis woman who lives near campus at 2 a.m. Saturday.
Minneapolis police filed the incident as a fifth-degree domestic assault, which is defined as intent to cause fear or bodily harm.
According to a police report, the man assaulted the woman and afterward damaged her dark blue 1992 Buick Regal, creating a $200 dent in the right side door.
The suspect fled before police arrived. The victim refused medical attention.
The incident, which was handled by the Minneapolis 2nd Precinct, has not been assigned to an investigator.

ù An unidentified person entered the Disabled Student Cultural Center on the second floor of Coffman Union on Thursday and broke into the center’s computer, erasing valuable data and stretching the center’s availability thin for days.
The perpetrator hacked into the center’s computer and erased system files containing mailing lists and other documentation.
A backup disk, which contained much of the lost data, was destroyed as well, according to a police report.
“It’s the time factor more than anything,” said Program Coordinator Kathy Strom. “We were less available.”
The center provides opportunities for people with disabilities to network and learn about disability services on campus.
Security has been a concern for the center, Strom said, as cubicle walls don’t reach the ceiling and many people have keys to the facility.
“We’ve had incidents in the past,” Strom said.
Strom said the center has experienced a number of petty thefts.
During the recent incident, the center also lost 125 e-mail addresses, which they used to keep in contact with people who want information about the center’s services.
Coffman Union officials will meet Friday to discuss safety issues in the building.