2 WORKERS HIDE AFTER ROBBERY SCARE.

Byline: Charles F. Bostwick Daily News Staff Writer

Two frightened supermarket employees spent six hours overnight Monday hiding from a robber they believed was in the store.

Sheriff's SWAT team members entered the Lucky's market in the 2500 block of East Avenue S about six hours after the man pulled a gun on an employee, but found no one other than the two employees hiding upstairs.

``The location was checked. No suspects were found. Two employees were found inside the market unharmed,'' Sheriff's Department spokeswoman Margarita Velazquez said.

While waiting early Tuesday for a search of the market, deputies arrested a robbery suspect after he was found walking in the area that deputies had cordoned off around the store.

Robert Mcnair, 20, of Palmdale, was found walking about 1:30 a.m. near 27th Street East and Avenue R-14, in the neighborhood just north of the market. After the search turned up no robber inside the store, Mcnair was booked on suspicion of robbery and was being held in lieu of $50,000.

The incident started about 11:30 p.m. Monday when a man walked up to an employee and told her he had lost money in the store's Lotto Scratcher machine, apparently trying to get her to open a cash register, deputies said. When she said she couldn't help him, he pulled out a pistol and walked her to the safe.

The five or six people in the store all scattered as the gunman put about $300 into a cloth bag. Outside the market, employees told deputies they believed he had run into the back of store and may still be there.

``All the employees basically ran in different directions,'' Schram said. ``No one actually saw him leave the store.''

Believing the robber may have barricaded himself inside the market, deputies called for the department SWAT team.

``The SWAT team went in and checked the store and brought out the other two employees,'' Schram said.

Deputies said the robber ran out one of the store's fire doors.

Lucky's spokeswoman Judie Decker said the employees will be provided with counseling if they want it.

``We have crisis counseling available for any employee who wants it,'' Decker said.