A masked man grabbed a store owner in a chokehold, then threatened him with a handgun, during an armed robbery in St David’s.The man was working in the St David’s Variety store with his pregnant daughter at about 9.30pm on Wednesday.The store owner, who asked not to be named, told The Royal Gazette: “I never would have dreamed any of this stuff could happen in this community, but hopefully once everybody out there gets to see what happened, they talk.”Both he and his daughter thought the robbery was a joke at first, he added.He said his daughter was due to have her baby in “about two weeks’ time”.“He spoke quietly. The only thing he said to me was ‘Give me the money out of the till’,” the owner said. “When he let me go I saw he had a gun and a mask.”He added: “It wasn’t somebody using something else pretending it was a gun. It looked like a handgun. He was wearing a ski mask.“My daughter asked him if he wanted the change and he said no. Then he ran out in an easterly direction and we called the police, and I pushed the panic alarm to call security.”Aside from attempted break-ins and shoplifters, the store has seen no criminal activity in the almost two years it’s been run, he added.“It’s the first time I got held up. I don’t think there’s even been an armed robbery in St David’s.”The man added: “I think he was a fool, because there are cameras here.”The St David’s Road store was open for business as usual yesterday, and the proprietor said his daughter was unharmed. A picture of the robber will be released in due course.The assailant left with a small amount of cash.Inquiries into the incident are ongoing, a police spokesman said.“It appears that the store owner and a family member were inside the premises when a lone offender entered brandishing what appeared to be a firearm and demanded money. The offender then fled on foot with a quantity of cash. No one was injured.“An extensive search of the surrounding area was conducted; however the suspect was not located.”The spokesman continued: “In particular, investigators would like to speak with the driver of a car travelling through the area around the time the robbery occurred. Anyone with any information is encouraged to contact Sergeant BT Smith at the St George’s Criminal Investigation Unit directly on 247-1442 or the independent and confidential Crime Stoppers hotline on 800-8477.”