ST. MARTINVILLE — A masked perpetrator brandishing a handgun robbed Beno’s Motel and Casino late Tuesday night, said Maj. Ginny Higgins of the St. Martin Parish Sheriff’s Office.

Around 11:36 p.m., a person described as about 5-feet tall, 100 pounds, of slender build, black, wearing a long-sleeved blue shirt and a ski mask and of unknown sex entered the casino portion of the business brandishing the gun and demanding money.

John Talley, whose family owns Beno’s Motel and Casino, was nearby at the time, although he did not see the suspect.

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There were three employees and one customer in the business at the time, said Talley. The perpetrator made off with about $2,400 from the cash registers, he said.

“They were pretty scared,” he said of the employees. “Everybody has panic buttons around their neck, but you never know what you’re gonna do in a situation like that.”

The employees ran to Talley, and he pressed his security button.

Talley said it was unclear how long the perpetrator was on the premises.

After the employees handed over the money, the perpetrator ran off in an unknown direction, according to a sheriff’s office press release.

Talley said this is the first time his business has been robbed and the event is “not too comforting.”

The St. Martin Parish Sheriff’s Office requests those with information contact them at 394-3071. All informants will remain anonymous.