Springs police say just before 1 a.m. Thursday, a man used a gun to threaten a 7-Eleven clerk and steal money from the register.

The crime happened at the 7-Eleven near Circle and Monterey on Shasta Drive. It is the first time the store has been robbed in 2012.

Police say the suspect is a black man in his late 20s standing between 5-foot-6 and 5-foot-8. He was wearing a hoodie at the time of the crime and used a bandana to cover his face. Witnesses tell police the suspect stuffed the stolen cash into a blue backpack before leaving the store.

11 News took a closer look at these types of crimes and found out more information on when they are happening. In the past month, over half of the robberies happened overnight after 11 p.m.

Police say these types of crooks like to target clerks who are alone and work at convenience stores that are open late.

Call Springs police at 444-7000 or Crime Stoppers at 634-STOP if you have any information about the suspect that can lead to an arrest.