$32,000 stolen in Sunoco robbery - Philadelphia News

NORTHEAST PHILADELPHIA - August 12, 2008 The Sunoco gas station on the 9200 block of Ashton Road is usually busy, but at about 10:20 Monday morning there was one customer and one cashier inside the minimart, when the owner decided to make a deposit.

The surveillance video shows he never got to do that.

The owner, Thomas Nedumakel, was stopped during a hold-up by a man with a gun.

"The only thing he said was give me the bag," Nedumakel said.

Fearing for his life, the 59-year-old father of two, handed over the bag, full of cash.

Moments earlier, the surveillance video shows Nedumakel walking out of the store and approaching his black truck.

He didn't see anyone, but he did notice something strange on the small car parked right next to his truck; the car's licensed plate was covered with white paper.

The suspect jumped out of the truck and demanded the money, and then jumped back into his car.

He got away with $32,000 in cash and $80 in Western Union checks.

Because the suspect knew where to park to hide from the camera, police are looking into the possibility that the suspect was staking out the place before robbing the owner.

The suspect is described as a black man, 25 years old, 5'10", 150 to 160 pounds.

He was wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt, he had a thin face and possibly a mustache.

The car he was driving was a small older model maroon sedan, perhaps a Honda Civic, Nissan Maxima or Toyota Corolla.

Click here to get the latest Philadelphia news and headlines from across the Delaware and Lehigh valleys.

Copyright © 2024 WPVI-TV. All Rights Reserved.