Police are investigating an armed jewelry store robbery in Steele Creek that happened during a busy time on Saturday afternoon.
“Whoever robbed the store was pretty brave,” customer Tisha Gilchrist said.
Police said two armed men entered the Brownlee Jewelers on Hoover Creek Boulevard off South Tryon Street around 1 p.m., wearing wigs. Authorities said the robbers forced two employees and three customers into the bathroom and used their purses to hold jewelry.
Police said a fourth customer walked in on the robbery and the robbers forced her into the bathroom too.
“It makes me scared to even go shopping,” customer Mona Abernathy said.
“It’s pretty quiet,” Gilchrist said. “You don’t hear about so much crime in the area, a lot of people know each other.”
This is the second robbery at that store since April, and the fifth robbery of a Brownlee Jewelers in the Charlotte area this year.
Business operators told Channel 9’s Ken Lemon the shopping center is ideal for thieves because it’s secluded from traffic along South Tryon Street and it’s close to I-77 for a quick getaway.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Channel 9 reporter Ken Lemon asking police if they have any suspects for Eyewitness News at 5:30 p.m.
Watch Ken Lemon's Facebook live video describing scene.
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