Gumby attempts to rob 7-11

The bizarre robbery attempt happened just after midnight on Labor Day, when a man dressed as TV character "Gumby" entered the store on Carmel Mountain Road with another man and approached the clerk behind the counter. Initially, the man in the Gumby costume asked for a pack of cigarettes but then told the clerk, "This is a robbery." The clerk thought it was a joke and told the man dressed as Gumby, "Come on man, don’t waste my time. I have things to do."



After the clerk dismissed Gumby, Gumby said he had a gun and fumbled around in his costume, appearing to search for it. A gun never materialized, but Gumby did drop 27 cents on the floor as a result of all the movement before leaving the store with an unidentified accomplice. The entire incident was caught on the store's surveillance cameras.

"Yeah, it's hilarious to look at it on the video," said San Diego police Detective Gary Hassen. "But, it is a very serious crime and we take it very seriously." Hassen kept a straight face while explaining that wearing a Gumby costume is no different than any other disguise worn by potential robbers. "It could have been a ski mask. It could have been a bandana. It could have been a hoodie. It just happens to be a Gumby costume," said Hassen.


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Because the robbery attempt was so bizarre, the clerk did not call police. Later on Monday morning, the clerk's boss saw the surveillance video and called police. The clerk said he had never even heard of Gumby until he was almost robbed by a man dressed as him. He told his boss the costume looked something like a green version of the TV cartoon character "SpongeBob SquarePants." A reward of up to $1,000 is being offered for information that leads to the arrest of the man in the Gumby costume and his accomplice.