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Ski Mask Bandit Foiled by Convenience Store Clerk

HIROSHIMA, Oct 15 (News On Japan) - A man wearing a ski mask attempted to rob a convenience store in Fukuyama, Hiroshima Prefecture, in the early hours of October 14th, but fled the scene empty-handed after the clerk shouted loudly, according to local police.

Security camera footage from the still-dark hours shows a confrontation between the store clerk and a man dressed entirely in black near the store entrance. The video captures the clerk raising his arm while maintaining distance from the suspect, who appears to be holding a knife-like object.

Police say the man entered the store around 3 a.m. and, without speaking, pointed what looked like a kitchen knife at the male clerk while demanding money. The clerk’s loud shouting startled the suspect, prompting him to flee without taking any cash.

At the time, the only person inside the store was the male clerk, who was unharmed.

The attempted robbery has raised concerns among nearby residents. One local resident said, "There aren’t many streetlights in the area, so we’ve installed security cameras ourselves, fearing something like this might happen one day."

The suspect fled the scene on a motorcycle and remains at large. Police are reviewing security camera footage and continuing their search for the individual.

Source: FNN

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