CAPE PIZZA PLACE ROBBED AT GUNPOINT A SECOND TIME

Almost a year after a Cape Girardeau pizza place was robbed at gunpoint, a similar robbery occurred at the same location Monday night, police said.

At 9:34 p.m., a Pizza Pro employee had gone to lock the rear door at 527 N. Silver Springs Rd. when a man with a black handgun forced his way in, Cpl. Kevin Orr said.

The robber walked the employee back toward the front of the store, where a second employee was washing dishes. Only the two employees were at Pizza Pro at the time of the robbery, police said.

One of the employees was ordered to lie on the floor while the robber followed the other to the cash register. Money was removed and placed into a bank bag, and then inside a blue plastic Walmart shopping bag, police said.

The robber also took the employees' wallets and placed them in the bag.

The employees were then ordered into a restroom. Five minutes after the robber had left the building, they came out, police said.

The robber was described as wearing two blue bandannas over his face.

The black handgun was later described as being a revolver, Orr said.

Last August, Pizza Pro had a very similar armed robbery, which remains unsolved.

At 11:10 p.m. on Aug. 14, 1999, two Pizza Pro employees reported that a man entered the store holding a silver revolver, police said.

The man pushed the employees against a wall and ordered them to give him money. After they emptied their wallets and pockets, the robber threatened them again, asking for the money he wanted. He said if he didn't get it, he'd shoot, Orr said.

One employee then went to the cash register and handed him the contents.

The robber ordered the two employees into a bathroom. They came out about five minutes after he left.