Employees remained calm during robbery, Ann Arbor restaurant owner says
Four employees held up at gunpoint at New York Pizza Depot this morning did the right thing when they calmly handed over money from the safe, said the restaurant's owner, Domenico Telemaco.
"The most important thing is that nobody got hurt," said Telemaco, who has owned the East William Street restaurant for 12 years.
A man walked into the store about 3:47 a.m. and demanded money, Ann Arbor police said.
He made off with about $2,200, Telemaco said.
The man apparently snuck in after an employee walked out the back door to take out garbage and left it unlocked or open, Telemaco said.
The garbage can is about 200 feet away, Telemaco said. When the employee returned, a man was holding other employees at gunpoint, Telemaco said.
It's the first time the restaurant has been robbed since Telemaco has owned it.
"Usually, downtown it's pretty safe," he said.
The robbery occurred 13 minutes before the restaurant was scheduled to close.
There are three surveillance cameras inside, and Telemaco is working to recover footage of the robber.
The man is described as white, about 27 years old, 6 feet, 1 inches tall, 170 pounds with blond hair, authorities said.
He was wearing a blue bandana, black sweatshirt with black writing and dark blue athletic pants, authorities said.
Telemaco is planning to meet with employees Thursday to give them credit for how they responded and to review procedures. He may purchase additional surveillance cameras, including ones for the outside.
"My employees I think handled it really well," he said. "They didn't argue with the guy. They didn't fight with the guy. They just handed him the money."
Anyone with information can contact Ann Arbor police at (734) 794-6939 or tips@a2gov.org.
Comments
Janet Q.
Wed, Aug 5, 2009 : 2:42 p.m.
My friend was attached back in the 80's when Boron was still in business. They never caught the guy and my friend left Michigan because she was terrified she would run into him somewhere.
Justin S.
Wed, Aug 5, 2009 : 2:25 p.m.
@Alan: How long ago did this happen?
Janet Q.
Wed, Aug 5, 2009 : 10:08 a.m.
I think the employees did a great job in handling the situation. They followed the company rules by handing over the money and not resisting, but do I believe the rules should be adjusted regarding taking out the trash at closing. I do not believe anyone should be going out the back door to dump trash in the middle of the night when hours of operation are clear to everyone on the street. It would make no difference if there was one person or two taking out the trash, the robber had a GUN! I had a friend who worked the midnight shift at the Boron Gas station (on the corner of Carpenter Rd. and Packard Rd. (next to where White Castle is today, Boron has since gone out of business). The standard practice was for the employees to never let anyone into the gas station after dark, customers would have to pay through a slide out tray with several inches of thick non-breakable glass protecting the employee and station. This all sounds safe and secure for the employee and the company, BUT they required the employee (who is the only one on the midnight shift) to leave the secured area and go out to the side of the building and clean the bathrooms. Now, the company was clear about the employee always making sure the door to get into the cash register area was always locked (for the employee's protection of course), but they saw no harm in the employee leaving that secured area to clear bathrooms on the outside of the building that are not secure in the middle of the night alone. My friend was stabbed 18 times as well as having her throat cut and left on the floor bleeding to death as the attacker stood at the sink and washed off the knife he used on her, then leaving and trying to lock her in the bathroom. My friend did manage to crawl out into the night and get help, but she never should have been put into that situation in the first place! Why would the company have an employee go alone at night, outside and clean bathrooms or take out trash? Boron changed their policy regarding the late night bathroom cleanings; maybe the restaurant owner should consider doing the same thing regarding taking out the trash. Be safe everyone!
Alan Goldsmith
Wed, Aug 5, 2009 : 10:01 a.m.
Like the A2 Chief of Police said in a previous A2.com article, the staffing cuts have had no effect on law enforcement in Ann Arbor.
Alan Benard
Tue, Aug 4, 2009 : 10:26 p.m.
It's a wonder more people working late and handling the daily receipts aren't held up, thank goodness. It should be SOP to have two people go out the back door of a restaurant at night.
annarbor
Tue, Aug 4, 2009 : 6:34 p.m.
I agree that funding is needed for beat cops, but having them would not have changed this situation one bit. Cops don't walk the beat at 4am.
Jeremy Peters
Tue, Aug 4, 2009 : 5:52 p.m.
We need to figure out funding for the beat cops in downtown Ann Arbor again, in my opinion. Heck, I'll even donate to a fund for it if someone sets one up to endow it.