By Khalida Sarwari
A half-block section of Alvarado Street in Monterey has been shut down while police try to negotiate with an armed robbery suspect who has barricaded himself in the bathroom of a cafe, a Monterey city spokeswoman said.
Police responded to a report of an armed robbery around 10:15 a.m. at the Ordway Drugs store at 499 Alvarado St., city spokeswoman Anne McGrath said.
There, they chased the suspect, who ran inside the Old Monterey Cafe at 489 Alvarado St. and barricaded himself in a bathroom, McGrath said.
Officers have evacuated the restaurant and are trying to convince the man to surrender.
Meanwhile, a half-block section of Alvarado Street from Pearl Street to the Mucky Duck has been blocked and is expected to remain closed for several hours.
