Two Robbed at Knifepoint in Downtown Parking Lot

Sheriff’s deputies are searching for an armed robbery suspect who stole property from two people in the parking lot behind the Dunedin Smokehouse on May 1.

A man and woman were in the parking lot behind around 10:40 p.m. when a man dressed in dark clothing “popped out from the bushes” with an 8-inch Santoku kitchen knife in hand, Pinellas County Sheriff’s spokeswoman Cecilia Barreda said.

The suspect demanded money and valuables, which the victims handed over, she said. Then he took off on foot toward Douglas Avenue.

The suspect is described as a black man in his 20s, about 5-foot-8 and 180 pounds. He was wearing a black long-sleeved shirt, black pants, black sneakers, a black bandana covering his head and a black scarf over his face, Barreda said.

Some Dunedin residents have reported that they have seen a man who fits that description during the day over the past few weeks traveling in downtown Dunedin on a bicycle. 

Anyone with information is asked to call Pinellas County sheriff’s deputies at 727-582-6177.

The investigation is ongoing.