'Beer Skip' Turns Violent

Police in Watsonville are trying to locate three suspects who robbed a early Monday morning.

Officers responded just after 1 a.m. to a hold-up alarm activated at the convenience store at 261 East Lake Ave., police said.

Store staff told arriving officers that two suspects had entered the store a short time earlier, grabbed packs of beer and headed for the door.

A 7-Eleven clerk confronted the subjects, who were described as younger than 21 years old, police said.

One of the suspects took a knife from his pocket and used it to threaten the clerk.

A third suspect joined the pair, grabbed another pack of beer and the three ran away from the store, police said.

Officers searched the area but were unable to locate the suspects.

Beer theft, , is not uncommon in Watsonville. One such crime is usually reported every week or so from a convenience store in the city. However, those incidents typically involve one person walking in, taking beer from the case and leaving without any threat of violence or brandishing of a weapon.

Anyone with further information about the robbery is asked to call Watsonville police at (831) 768-3350 or the department's Crime Tip Line at (831) 768-3544.

—Bay City News contributed to this report.