Woman injured in Handy Pak robbery posted Thursday, December 17th, 2009 @ 8:49 am  E-mail Story |  Print Story  The Concordia Parish Sheriff's Office is investigating a Tuesday night robbery that occurred in front of the Handy Pak convenience store in Ridgecrest. Three employees were reportedly leaving the Highway 84 business shortly after 9 p.m. when they were approached by a suspect described as a stocky-built, possibly black male, approximately 5-feet tall. The man, who demanded their money, was said to be wearing a ski mask. Two women were already in one vehicle and another woman was in a nearby vehicle. The robber reportedly struck the woman in the driver's seat in the first vehicle with an unknown object. He took the passenger's purse, containing some cash and jewelry. The injured woman was treated for a cut above an eye and was released from a nearby hospital. The lone woman in the second vehicle was not harmed. The perpetrator then fled on foot, according to CPSO Investigator Jack Fletcher. Sheriff Randy Maxwell is encouraging area business people to contact the Concordia Parish Sheriff's Office before locking up at night if their employees would like an escort to their vehicles.  "If the businesses will give us a few minutes to get there, we'll be happy to make sure their employees get to their vehicles safely," Maxwell said.  "It's the time of year combined with the poor economy -- this sort of criminal activity starts to rise, and we want to see that everyone is kept as safe as humanly possible," he added. Anyone have any information concerning this incident is asked to immediately contact Fletcher at the Concordia Parish Sheriff's Office, 318-336-5231, 757-3162 or 386-2200.