Man tries to rob Orange Park hotel with assault rifle

Police cars swarmed Roosevelt Boulevard near I-295 early Thursday morning.

A man with an assault rifle tried to rob the Hilton Garden Inn, according to the Orange Park Police Department.

Police Chief Gary Goble told WOKV the man put the rifle on the lobby counter and demanded money.  The hotel worker told the suspect she would retrieve the money from a safe, but instead, locked herself in a back room and called police.

The suspect left the hotel without any money, according to police.

Chief Goble told WOKV that officers responded 45 seconds after the woman called for help, but were not able to track the suspect down.

Detectives are reviewing security footage of the incident that happened just before 4 a.m.  No one was injured.

Police say the suspect is a black man in his 20s who is 5’7”, 140 lbs. He has thick curly hair and a thin mustache and appears to have a thin beard. He was last seen wearing a black DGK brand “Field of Dreams” t-shirt, black jogging pants with white stripes, and a camouflage cap.

If you have any information about this suspect or incident, you’re asked to call Orange Park Police at 904-264-5555.