Police are asking for the public’s help to find the person who tried to rob a Cortlandville carpet store at knife-point Tuesday after determining a man matching the description of the suspect who they picked up afterward was not involved.
The attempted robbery at Cortland Carpet Outlet on Route 281 occurred about 10 a.m., state police said.
“A victim reported that she suffered a lacerations to her hands after a male held a knife to her and made demands,” according to a news release from police.
The woman was taken by TLC Emergency Medical Services ambulance to Guthrie Cortland Medical Center for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
The suspect was described as a skinny black male, wearing a face covering and a tan or beige sweatshirt and jeans. He fled the scene on foot.
“A subject was detained who matched the provided description, however he was cooperative and ultimately determined to be uninvolved in the robbery,” according to police.
State Police want to speak with anyone who may have witnessed the incident or was in the area at the time. They can be reached at 607-561-7400.
Police have obtained some surveillance video of the suspect however, the images are blurry. Troopers are also asking the public in the area to check home and business surveillance that shows a skinny black male walking in the area between 9:30 and 10:30 a.m. and wearing a tan or beige sweatshirt with jeans.
John DelVecchio, owner of Cortland Carpet Outlet, said Tuesday after the robbery attempt that a masked man entered the store and demanded that the employee open a safe. She did not know the combination, which had recently been changed. The man threatened her with a long knife and hit her head on the safe before throwing her into a closet and closing the door.
DelVecchio said he was at his son’s law firm in the same building when the employee texted him to say she was being robbed. The owner ran to his shop but the man fled out a side door.
