Chicken heist: Armed man demands food from Roscoe's after he's denied service for not wearing mask

PASADENA, Calif. (KABC) -- A maskless man was denied service at a Roscoe's House of Chicken and Waffles - so he returned with a gun, authorities say.

The man showed up at the back of the Pasadena restaurant, demanded all the chicken and waffles they could give him and ran off, police and store officials say.

He remains at large.

The incident happened at the Roscoe's location on Lake Avenue in Pasadena around 5:40 p.m. Wednesday.

Police and restaurant officials say when the suspect first walked into the restaurant to order, he was turned away because he wasn't wearing a mask and was told he could return if he was wearing one.

Instead, he showed up at the back of the restaurant with a gun. At first restaurant staff was confused as to what he wanted because the cash registers were in front.

Cook Robert Gonzalez was in the kitchen when the suspect walked in.

"He comes straight toward me with a gun, pointing at me and saying put all the chicken in the bag," Gonzalez said.

The suspect demanded they turn over food - chicken, waffles, syrup - to him. No word on exactly what quantity of food he was able to grab, but the man ran off.

"He didn't take any cash," manager Angela Prieto said. "He actually took chicken and before he walked out the door he took syrup for his chicken."

It was a tense moment for staff.

"They were feeling scared, especially my cashier," Prieto said. "She was very, very scared. And when I first talked to her she was basically hysterical, but after a while she calmed down and started laughing about it because she realized all he did was take some chicken."

Ironically, surveillance video captured the man's face because he wasn't wearing a mask.

"I almost got shot over stupidity, I guess," Gonzalez said.

No one was injured.

Pasadena police are looking for the suspect and ask anyone with information to call them at (626)744-4501.