IN BRIEF

-- Greg Risling

Police are looking for a robber who assaulted a pet store employee Monday

morning as he walked to his car with a deposit.

The incident occurred about 10 a.m. on the 1800 block of Newport

Boulevard. The Petco worker worker was carrying an undisclosed amount of

cash when he was approached by a man who demanded he hand over the money.

When the victim refused to do so, the robber struck the man on the head.

The robber grabbed the bag from the victim and ran away.

The victim suffered a bruise and cut to his head and was treated at the

scene.

Police thought they had found the assailant hiding near the corner of

Placentia Avenue and Center Street, but that man was later released.

The robber is described as white, in his early 20s, about 6 feet, 2

inches tall and weighing about 160 pounds. He was last seen wearing a

black sweatshirt with white stripes, a pair of gray jeans , a green

beanie cap and dark sunglasses.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Costa Mesa Police Department

at (714) 754-5281.