Broward Sheriff's Office detectives are investigating a frightening armed robbery at a West Park store.
It happened around 11 p.m. on Dec. 23 at Deals located at 1959 South State Road 7. Detectives said an armed man hid inside the store before closing and made his way into the office after-hours.
The man was seen on surveillance footage entering the store around 9:30 p.m. Employees said they locked the doors just after 10 p.m.
The employee and assistant manager went inside the office to count the money in the registers and close for the day. About an hour later, the automatic lights in the store shut off and the women heard a bang outside the door, according to detectives.
The assistant manager opened the door to go investigate the noise when an armed, large male barged inside the office. Both women dropped to the floor.
"He kind of just stayed around the store all that time. He hid inside," said Keyla Concepcion with BSO.
The suspect, who is approximately six-feet-tall, 230 pounds and was wearing a black shirt, black track pants, a red baseball cap, red bandanna over his face and latex gloves, stood over the employee pointing the gun at her as he demanded the money in the safe.
The assistant manager stood up and loaded a paper bag he threw at her with thousands of dollars in bills and coins. More than seven minutes later, the man instructed the women to count to 100 as they lay face down on the floor. He then fled the store on foot.
Anyone with information about this robbery or the suspect's identity is asked to contact Broward Crime Stoppers at (954) 493-TIPS
