A Watsonville taqueria that has been targeted by armed robbers in the past was held up at gunpoint Tuesday evening, police reported.
Fidel's Mexican food at 301 Airport Blvd. was robbed by a young man armed with a chrome-colored handgun just after 4 p.m., according to police.
The robber brandished the gun at a clerk while other employees and customers were present, and demanded cash from the register. The clerk feared being harmed and handed over money, police reported.
The robber got away southbound on Airport Boulevard. Officers searched the area with assistance from a police dog but were not successful in making an arrest, Watsonville police reported.
The robber was described at being 16 to 22 years old, wearing a grey sweatshirt, jeans and beanie cap. The Santa Cruz Sentinel reported that his face was covered during the heist.
The same taqueria was held up in May 2011, but the clerk fought off the robbers. One robber punched the clerk in the face and they fired two gunshots into the ceiling on their way out of the restaurant, but they didn't get any cash.
Fidel's is a family-run operation that opened about a decade ago. Its proprietors are the former owners of Hector's Mexican Bakery on East Lake Avenue.
Detectives ask that anyone information regarding this investigation or who may have witnesses the incident call the Investigation Bureau at 768-3350 or the Crime Tipline at 768-3544.
