An armed robbery that occurred at Lassen’s Natural Foods & Vitamins in Goleta on Saturday could be the work of a former employee, store manager Michael Hopper said.

Hopper, who was on duty when the man came into the store, said the robber stole less than $200 in cash.

Hopper already had emptied one of the register’s cash into the safe and was adjusting signs when the man approached him from behind.

“His exact words were, ‘Hey, I’m not f****** around,’” Hopper said. “He made sure I saw the gun.”

The robber demanded money from the register while holding what Hopper said appeared to be a pistol. Hopper emptied an inactive drawer that was defaulted at holding $200. A sheriff’s deputy patrolling the parking lot at the time, so the robber “bolted” while Hopper was opening the next register’s empty drawers.

“He didn’t even wait for me to finish, he just took off,” Hopper said. Another store employee saw the robber leave through the back of the store.

The robber didn’t take any products off of the shelves nor the $1,700 in the drawer of another register.

Once the man left the store, Hopper alerted the deputy outside, who called for backup, according to Drew Sugars, a public information officer with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department.

Authorities set up a perimeter and used police dogs to search the area, but did not find the suspect, Sugars said. The suspect’s face was covered and he wore black clothing and a hood.

Hopper said the suspect’s clothing was similar to that of a former employee, and that he recognized the suspect’s voice.

The robbery occurred after closing. From now on, the store will close its doors right at 8 p.m., instead of a little while afterward, Hopper said.

There was a customer in the store when the armed man came in.

— Noozhawk staff writer Giana Magnoli can be reached at gmagnoli@noozhawk.com.