Southwest Portland pub robbed at gunpoint, employee's car stolen

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Police said a man jumped out of the bushes and ambushed two bar employees as they were walking to their car early Sunday morning and ordered them to re-open the bar so he could rob it.

Police said they responded to the Old Mark Pub in the 6000 block of Southwest Garden Home Road at just before 1:30 a.m. Aug. 19. As police were on their way to the pub, they learned the suspect also took an employee's car.

Once police arrived, they found one of the employees, who told police she closed the pub and was walking to her car with the other employee when a man came running out of the bushes pointing a gun at them. He demanded both employees get in the victim's car with him and drive to the entrance to the pub, where he forced them inside to get money from the bar.

After obtaining an undisclosed sum of money, the man told the employees to lie on the ground and he took the victim's car and fled the area.

"We've never had a rough incident like this in any of that time," said pub owner Andy Bigley. "It's shocking. I hope it's the one and only time."

Employees said the man was a white male, but weren't sure of his age. They said he was about 5-foot-9, weighed 160 pounds, had brown goatee, wore white mask, white shirt, blue jeans, black hat and athletic shoes.

Bigley said the incident has prompted him to revise closing procedures for his employees. He's also going to buy a new safe with a time-delay function.

The employee's vehicle that was stolen is a silver 2005 Ford Focus four-door, bearing Oregon license plate 091BMA. The vehicle is described as having missing hubcaps and a damaged front grill.

Anyone who sees the stolen car should not approach it, but should immediately call 911.

Anyone with information about this robbery should call Detective John Russell at 503-823-0836 or email him.