Police searching for S.W. Philly armed robbery suspect

Police are hoping surveillance footage and help from the public will lead them to a man who robbed a convenience store at gunpoint last month in the Eastwick section of Southwest Philadelphia.

Cops gave this account of the crime: About 10:30 a.m. Sept. 26, a man walked into the Zam-Zam Market, on Elmwood Avenue near 73rd Street, and asked for a pack of cigarettes.  When a clerk rang up the cigarettes, the man set a black handgun on the counter in front of her and demanded money. She opened the cash register and gave the man cash. The man then walked around an L-shaped counter, forced the clerk into an office and demanded more money. She took more cash from a desk drawer inside the office and handed it to the suspect.  The man told her to stay in the office and ran onto Elmwood Avenue toward 73rd Street carrying $1,000 in cash, police said.

The suspect is described as black, about 6 feet 2, wearing blue jeans and brown work boots. The man wore a green hooded sweatshirt with images of two white masks and the words "Smiles and Tears" printed on the back.

Tipsters are asked to call 215-686-TIPS.