Like a scene straight out of Point Break, a man wearing a Barack Obama mask and red gloves held up the Burger King restaurant at 9031 Old Dixie Highway in West Palm Beach, according to Palm Beach Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Teri Barbera.
A black male, who had a woman accomplice also wearing a mask, walked into the Burger King at 6:45 a.m., held the cashier at gunpoint, and demanded money before leaving the restaurant with approximately $400 in cash. Fortunately, no one had a key to the safe, said one Burger King employee who did not want to be identified.
Within minutes police arrived at the restaurant, formed a perimeter, and dispatched a helicopter and K9 units to search for the suspects, who have not yet been found.
Hector Rodriguez, an employee at the Mobile Lube Express across the street, arrived to work shortly after the robbery to find the parking lot blocked by two PBSO deputies.
"My wife informed me of the robbery on my way to work," said Rodriguez. "When I drove by there was nothing going on."
No one was injured and all employees who were present at the time have gone home for the day.
This robbery is the second attempt since last week, when last Monday a man leapt through a drive-through window of a Burger King at 666 W. Broward Blvd. in Ft. Lauderdale.
The suspect, Edwin Walker, 31, was apprehended by Burger King employee Tanya Calvin as he tried to flee.
Despite the recent string of robberies, Burger King is a safe place to work and eat. "We have a multi-faceted approach to promote the safety of our employees and restaurant customers, including safety awareness programs, state-of-the-art technology, restaurant equipment enhancements, and crime prevention training for our managers and team members," said Burger King spokeswoman Denise Wilson.
Although Wilson declined to talk about specific security measures, it looks like that King-Fu training is starting to come in handy for employee Tanya Calvin.