CHARLOTTE — A man was robbed at gunpoint in a Dilworth neighborhood, according to the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department.
Officers said they received a call about an armed robbery in a shopping center parking lot off Ideal Way near Park Road at approximately 10 p.m. Sunday.
At the scene, the victim told officers that he gave the suspect his iPhone and wallet after the suspect pointed a gun at him.
Officials said they do not believe the suspect and the victim knew each other.
Channel 9′s Susanna Black spoke with the victim about the experience over the phone.
The victim told Black that the area is usually pretty busy, which is why he walks it almost daily to get to and from nearby businesses.
He said Sunday night he went to Food Lion and as he walked back to his home, he was approached by a man who asked him for money.
He said the man then lifted up his shirt and showed him a gun. The victim said he handed his phone and wallet to the man and then he left.
Black also spoke with Nate Gegoski, a cook at popular restaurant Comet Grill, about the incident.
He said he has worked at Comet Grill for eight years and has never heard of any crime like this but hopes it doesn’t deter people from coming to the restaurant.
“Bad things can happen anywhere. Just pay attention to your surroundings and watch what you’re doing and you should be OK. There’s never been a problem before I don’t feel unsafe but I’m more aware now,” Gegoski said.
Channel 9 discovered that the robbery happened in front of a donation box. On the box, there is a sign that says, “This is monitored 24/7 by cameras.”
The victim said he hopes that robbery was caught on camera, and that the video will help police catch the suspect.
(WATCH BELOW: Police say pair who robbed Caldwell County store sprayed workers with pepper spray)
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