Armed robbers terrorize store employees at The Arboretum

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Armed robbers terrorized workers Tuesday night at the New South Kitchen & Bar in the Arboretum Shopping Center off Providence Road, police said.

Two robbers wearing masks held up the restaurant as it was closing at about 9 p.m.

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Police said the robbers were armed with guns and terrified six employees before they ran off.

Officers tried to track them down with K-9s, but the robbers slipped away.

A police source sent Channel 9 a surveillance image of one of the men believed to be involved in the crime.

The Arboretum is one of the biggest and most popular shopping centers in Charlotte, with nearly 100 stores.

There are so many shops and restaurants in the area, online guides tell people what to try and what to avoid.

Now, instead of new shopping trips or date nights, some families are worried about their safety.

“This is home. This is my stomping grounds. My safety net," shopper Nancy Bernstein said. “It’s scary. You don’t think it will happen in your neighborhood. It shouldn’t happen anywhere but sadly it does."

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The area is covered with surveillance cameras, so the robbers were pretty bold.

The brazen robbery is particularly surprising because violent crimes in the area are rare.

Channel 9 crime-mapped the shopping center and found that in the first four months of 2019, there have not been any violent crimes.

The owner of the restaurant told Channel 9 he has asked the shopping center’s management group if it will add more lighting in the center so this won't happen again.

Cox Media Group