Customer fails to foil robbery at Valley adult shop

A man robbed an adult store in Spokane Valley early today despite a customer’s attempt to thwart the heist. The robber, armed with brass knuckles and a baseball bat, fled with a small amount of cash after entering the Hollywood Erotic Boutique, 9611 E. Sprague Ave., about 4 a.m. He first demanded all cell phones, then asked for money from the cash box when an employee asked if he was joking, according to the Spokane Valley Police Department. A customer who overheard the robbery confronted the culprit outside the store and grabbed the box, spilling about half the money onto the ground. The robber hit the man in the face with possibly a metal flash light, then fled northbound on Farr Road, police said. The customer cut his lip but did not require medical attention. The robber is described as a white man, about 5-foot-8 and wearing blue jeans, a black hooded sweatshirt and a black bandanna over his face. Anyone with information on the robbery is asked to call Crime Check at (509) 456-2233.