Smoke Shop Owner Says He Came Face to Face with Robbers
Two men robbed two people at gunpoint at a Miami Gardens smoke shop during daylight hours and stole cash from the register, authorities said
The owner of the Miami Gardens cell phone store and smoke shop said he came face-to-face with the duo that robbed his store and held two of his employees at gunpoint. He did not want to show his face on camera or be identified.
The owner of the Miami Gardens cell phone store and smoke shop said he came face-to-face with the duo that robbed his store and held two of his employees at gunpoint.
"All of a sudden I see two black males come from inside the shop and walk past me. And I ask, what's going on? He just lift up his shirt and showed me his gun and walked on by," said the owner, who did not want to be identified.
This came after the two male robbers encountered his sophisticated surveillance system that captured nearly every angle of the robbery. At first, the two suspects seemed like ordinary customers - browsing - the surveillance video released by the police shows.
"She asked them, can I help you guys, 'oh were just looking,'" the owner said. But then, "All you heard was click click ... Put your hands in the air," he said.
The pair if robbers knew exactly what they came for, he said.
In a matter of moments, the duo get to work - the suspect in black points a gun at the 32-year old woman employee and the 39-year-old man, the shop owner's brother, according to the video.
Police said the suspect demanded all the cash in the register. The video then shows all the lights go out but the cameras keep rolling and even get a good shot of the suspect in white, the video shows.
The suspects then tie up the hands of both victims, move them to a back room and force them to lie face down on their stomachs, according to the video.
The owner said he found his brother and cashier face down on the floor when he returned to his store.
"My heart almost jumped out of my mouth couldn't believe it, scary," he said.
The store owner says the men took about $3,000 and quickly darted out of the store.
"The young lady that works for me she was worried about the money," he said. "Money is replaceable."
He hopes the sharp video will help police nab the men who also stole his employees peace of mind.
"I want to see these guys get caught. It's a done deal," he said.
Watch the full surveillance video.
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