A suspect who stole merchandise from the Home Depot in Turlock is wanted for robbery after swinging a hammer at a store employee who tried to stop him.

The hammer did not make contact and there were no injuries reported from the incident.

The robbery was reported at 5:35 p.m. Wednesday at the Home Depot at 2800 Countryside Drive.

The suspect stole several items and when confronted by a loss prevention agent, he grabbed a hammer and swung it at the agent, said Turlock Police Department spokesman Sgt. Russ Holeman.

The suspect fled the area in a 1990s model black Ford Explorer.

The suspect was described as a white male in his 20s with short hair and a scruffy beard.