Rash of holdups on South Side continues

YOUNGSTOWN -- The string of holdups on the South Side continues.
A clerk at the Rite Aid on Midlothian Boulevard told police that a man, 18 to 22, came to the register and asked for a pack of cigarettes around 9:30 p.m. Monday. When the clerk turned around to get the cigarettes, the suspect said he forgot something and walked to the back of the store. When no other customers were around, the suspect approached the clerk with a bottle of dish detergent, put on black gloves and pulled what appeared to be a tight fitting mask up to his cheeks.
He brandished a handgun and demanded cash, saying he was sorry but he had no food. He threatened to kill the clerk if she called police. He fled out the door with just under $300, reports show.
Boardman police sent a tracker dog but the scent was lost on Judson Avenue, police said. Since late October, police said South Side businesses have been targeted by young armed robbers.