Watch CBS News

Caught On Tape: Armed Robbers Hit Verizon Store, Clerks Ordered To The Floor

SAN MARINO (CBSLA)  —   A Verizon store in San Marino is popular with customers.

Unfortunately for the owners and clerks who work in the store, the property is also becoming popular with robbers. The store was just hit for the third time in seven months.

KCAL9's Elsa Ramon reported from the location .

Detectives told her it's happening to a lot of Verizon stores all over Southern California.

Two men --  on a very warm day -- approached the front entrance wearing hoodies. It soon became clear the men were not there for phones.

A man in a  dark hoodie casually walks up to the register, pulls out a semi-automatic handgun and orders everyone to the floor.

While he aims the gun at the employees, his accomplice in the camo hoodie makes his way to the safe in the back of the store.

Within 2 1/2 to 3 minutes detectives say the thieves escaped through the back of the store with bags full of merchandise. The men are then seen hopping  into a Chevy Impala LS with paper plates.

The employees remain down on the ground for several minutes, before they realize the two men were gone.

Susana Jako says she heard about the robbery and sayd her peace of mind is now shaken.

"We're looking around you don't feel safe anymore. You don't know which store it's going to happen in once you're in," Jakso said.

The brazen robbers had no problem pressing their luck.  The Verizon store;s location? Just a a few doors down from the San Marino Police Station.

"I hear about it happening more and more around different areas but like I said, this areas is pretty safe. I never thought in my mind that something like this was going to happen," Jako said.

Detectives told Ramon that two men are being prosecuted for one of the robberies at the Verizon store.

A representative for Verizon said they believe they were being targeted because unlike some phones, theirs work overseas and that's where he believes they are being re-sold.

 

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.