Man throws store's register, runs away

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) - Police say a man got away with all of the cash inside of a store's register when he became frustrated and threw the register on the ground.

According to Jan Clark with the Portsmouth Police Department, police responded to a call of a robbery at the Valley Food Store in the 3300 block of Portsmouth Boulevard shortly before 1 p.m. Wednesday afternoon. Clark says employees of the store say a man purchased a soda and paid for it with a $10 bill. When one of the employees handed him the change, Clark says the man became frustrated and demanded change back from the $100 bill he claimed he had used.

Clark says the man then picked up the cash register, threw it on the ground, took all of the money inside of it and ran. On his way out, the man punched an employee of the store who had tried to stop him. The employee was punched several times in the face and neck and did not need medical treatment, according to Clark.

Police say the man is described as a black man between the ages of 35 and 40, standing 5'10" to 6' and weighing approximately 200 pounds. At the time of the crime, he was wearing a white shirt, black pants, black hat and sandals.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP.

Clark says no surveillance footage from the scene is available.