More than $10,000 in cash was stolen Tuesday morning when a man ambushed a Buckley liquor store employee.

The employee was carrying deposits collected the previous four days, walking her traditional route between the store and Frontier Bank. Her destination was just a short distance away.

Police Chief Jim Arsanto believes the suspect was familiar with the victim’s habits and was prepared to strike. As the victim walked along River Avenue, the robber jumped from his hiding spot, struck the victim in the face – either with his fist or forearm – and grabbed her bag of cash. Arsanto noted the victim had her cash bag disguised, tucked inside another bag.

The victim was not seriously hurt, Arsanto said.

Police called for a K-9 unit from Puyallup and the dog followed a scent to a location near Cottage Street. The scent disappeared, leading Arsanto to believe the suspect either had a car waiting or had someone waiting with a getaway car.

The suspect is described as about 5 feet, 9 inches and slender, wearing black jeans and a hooded sweatshirt. The victim, Arsanto said, did not get a good look at the man’s face.