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Salem, NH police searching for suspect accused of robbing local candy store

SALEM, N.H. — Police in Salem, New Hampshire are investigating an armed robbery inside a candy store. The owner is hoping surveillance pictures help police catch the suspect.

The owner and employees there are still startled by what happened, and they say they still can't believe someone would rob a candy store.

"We had a gentleman come in, [he] had no intention of buying candy, he came in to rob us," said Kristi Boie, the owner of Pearls Candy and Nuts in Salem, N.H. "You feel violated because it should be a happy place."

Boie says a man wearing a dark hoodie with a black mask and white fangs stormed through the front door Friday night holding a large knife.

"Just happened to be we had a slow couple of minutes and he came around the corner," Boie said. "We can see from the camera on the corner, [he came through] the door [and] approached the cash register. He had a knife; he showed the cashier."

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That cashier says the suspect then grabbed all the cash he could from the register and ran off. Police tried to track him with K-9s but they couldn't find him.

Boie says this was a hard hit for their business during the holiday season.

"Even if he didn't take money, just coming in and violating us, it hurts," she said. "So as a small business owner you just never want to see this happen."

Luckily, she says her clerk wasn't hurt, but they're all still shaken up over this. They're hoping someone recognizes the criminal soon.

"It was just kind of surprising but we're definitely making changes on our end," Boie said. "We've been in communication with the police, and different changes we're going to be doing internally so we can make sure something like this doesn't happen."

Boie says one of those changes they may make is closing their store earlier in the evenings. If you have any information that can help police find the suspect please call Salem Police.