Philadelphia Police Hope Exclusive Video Will Lead To Arrest Of Armed Bandits
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – It's obvious, through this exclusive surveillance video, that two armed men had planned a jewelry heist.
In the video, they jump over the counter, startling a female worker. They point a gun directly at her, as they force her and a male worker into a room. In that room, a scared young woman was already kneeling down, likely pleading for the robbers not to shoot.
Once all three employees are tied up and out of sight, the thieves go to town, clearing out case after case of expensive jewelry and dumping the high end items into plastic bags.
The suspects got away and the three employees eventually ran out of the back room.
Detectives say two suspects were buzzed into the store in the 2100 block of Cottman Avenue, and they didn't waste any time getting to work, according to the mother of a store employee.
"They pushed into the store and pulled guns fast and made everybody get down and threw them into the back room and tied them up."
The mother of one of the employees, who didn't want to be identified, spoke exclusively to Eyewitness Reporter Elizabeth Hur.
"Just knowing someone pointed a gun to her head, is scary."
She also told CBS-3 Eyewitness news the men went straight for the high-end engagement rings, but not before snagging the surveillance video, making it even more difficult for police to identify them.
Fortunately nobody was hurt.
Police say they are looking for two black men in their 40s, one thin, one heavy and both about 6 feet tall. Anyone with information is asked to call 911.
Reported By Jericka Duncan, CBS 3; Mike Dougherty, KYW Newsradio
