VIDEO: Suspected cigarette bandit bites store clerk

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Police say they are looking for a man who assaulted two store clerks after they tried to stop him from stealing several boxes of cigarettes.

The man was caught on surveillance camera around 3:45pm on June 12 as he entered a store on Stella Link near North Braeswood Boulevard.

Video shows the man walking behind the store counter, swiping the cigarettes before heading for the exit.

Before he can walk out, however, a female store clerk tries to stop the man. That is when police say he punched the victim in the face before forcefully placing his forearm against her throat.

A second store clerk attempted to stop the man but was bitten by the suspect before he threw her to the ground.

HPD says the man was able to escape in a blue Cadillac.

A $5,000 reward is being offered for information that leads to the man's arrest.

You can make an anonymous tip by calling 713-222-TIPS or submitting your tip online at www.crime-stoppers.org.