An apologetic robber bound a worker with duct tape and disabled an office phone before taking about $200 from a short-term loan business Thursday morning, according to police reports.

Courtesy photo/Denton Police Department

Denton police are looking for and seeking information about the identity of the man shown at right in this surveillance photo taken from Lone Star Title Loan in connection to a robbery of the business on West University Drive on Thursday.

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Denton police Capt. Lenn Carter said a masked man entered Lone Star Title Loans in the 1800 block of West University Drive about 9:40 a.m. The single employee inside was left bound with duct tape, Carter said.

“He said he didn’t want to do it, but it was for his kids,” Carter said.

The man was wearing a black ski mask, a gray hoodie with black stripes on the shoulders, and baggie, faded jeans. He had brown eyes and wore yellow-and-black work gloves.

He took the cash he found in the business, about $200, and placed it in a gray-and-black Adidas bag with nylon drawstrings, the reports state.

He had his hand in his pocket, implying that he had a gun, the captain said, but the woman never actually saw a weapon. The victim did not know whether the robber left on foot or in a vehicle. Responding officers were not able to locate the robber.

Officer Ryan Grelle said the man entered business and said, “Give me the money; give me the money.” The employee complied, and the man told her to turn around and place her hands behind her on the counter. Then he bound her wrists with duct tape and told her to lie down. She was able to free her hands and call 911 after the robber left, Grelle said.

The employee said the man was between 5 feet 6 inches and 5 feet 8 inches tall and spoke with a heavy Hispanic accent.

Grelle said officers went door to door in the area to try to find witnesses. One person had seen a man matching the robber’s description a few minutes earlier and told police that he was the passenger in a brown or gold Ford Taurus or Escort, the officer said.

Other reports

3800 block of Market Street — A woman left her handbag in her car with the door unlocked while she ran into a day care center and dropped off her child, according to a Wednesday report.

She parked in front of the center about 6:45 a.m. and was inside less than five minutes, she said. But when she returned, the handbag was gone.

She called to cancel her credit cards but learned that one was used at an Aubrey gas station at 7 a.m.

3700 block of Kirby Drive — A woman reported Wednesday that neighbors have cut strands of her outdoor Christmas lights five times in the last two to three weeks. She suspects youngsters are cutting the wires, a report states.

20000 block of Snug Harbor Lane, Frisco area — A man reported to Denton County sheriff’s deputies Wednesday that his neighbor had cut strands on his Christmas display. He said the neighbor cut the wires on his lights four times last year and that he just wants it to stop.

Roundup

From 7 a.m. Wednesday to 7 a.m. Thursday:

• Denton police handled 265 service and officer-initiated calls, including reports of 10 thefts, three vehicle burglaries, one criminal mischief, one report of harassment, one missing person, three frauds, one case of possession of marijuana, one burglary of a coin-operated machine and one assault.

• Denton County sheriff’s dispatchers handled 286 service and officer-initiated calls for the agencies they serve. Thirty-six people were booked into county jail. Deputies took reports of one theft, two cases of criminal mischief, two burglaries and four assaults.

• Denton firefighters responded to 16 medical calls, two smoke investigations, two requests for public service, one vehicle fire, one gas leak, one cooking fire, one alarm and one request to assist an invalid.

Sanger firefighters responded to one structure fire, three medical calls, two requests to unlock a vehicle and three requests to assist a citizen.

Aubrey firefighters responded to one request to unlock a vehicle, one vehicle fire, one structure fire and one water main break.

Argyle firefighters responded to one odor investigation, one structure fire and one medical call.

Lake Cities firefighters responded to four medical calls, one request to assist a citizen, two traffic accidents and one water main break.

Oak Point firefighters responded to one alarm.

Krum firefighters responded to one structure fire and one alarm.

DONNA FIELDER can be reached at 940-566-6885. Her e-mail address is dfielder@dentonrc.com .

Denton County Crime Stoppers will pay a reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to an arrest in these or other crimes. Callers will remain anonymous. Call 1-800-388-TIPS (8477). Reach the Denton police narcotics tip line at 940-565-5801.