Police investigating knifepoint robbery at downtown mini mart early Monday

Riverhead Town police are searching for a suspect who robbed a downtown mini mart at knifepoint early Monday morning.

Police responded at about 4 a.m. to Stop & Go Mini Mart at 55 W. Main St. after a man stole money from the cash register and threatened an employee behind the counter.

The suspect spoke Spanish and was wearing a baseball-type hat with white writing and had a plastic bag or mask over his face. He was wearing a black T-shirt, black shorts and and tan or beige shoes, police said. He was described as either Black or Hispanic, police said.

The suspect fled on foot with an unknown amount of money and was unable to be located when responding officers canvassed the area.

The employee working at the front counter told police the suspect pointed the knife at her throughout the encounter. Additional employees were inside the store during robbery but were in the back and did not hear the pleas for help from the employee at the counter.