A lone male stole about $150 from Harvard Market East on Thursday morning with what appeared to be a weapon hidden under a hat.
The store, located at 828 Washington Ave. S.E., was robbed yesterday morning at about 4:45 a.m.
It is unclear whether the suspect actually had a weapon hidden under his hat. The suspect fled the scene with the cash following the holdup.
The incident was captured on the store’s surveillance camera and store owner Bradley Mateer said he’s confident the person will be found.
“We are working very hard to capture this guy,” said Mateer. He said the Minneapolis Police Department has a good idea who committed the crime.
Jonathan Paddan, a University Institute of Technology student, was working at the store when it was robbed.
After the robbery, a man fitting the description was apprehended while parking his car on his way to work.
He denied any involvement but was held until someone from Harvard Market could identify him. The 39-year-old man was then released after a worker from the store said he wasn’t the suspect.
Mateer said such situations are rare. “It does not happen often that we have robberies in Stadium Village.”
No one was injured during the incident. “Our biggest concern is for our people,” said Mateer.

Thomas Douty covers police and courts and welcomes comments at [email protected].