The moment a brazen armed robber stormed into a teddy bear store filled with terrified customers, including children, in the Phoenix suburb of Mesa was caught on video.
The incident occurred inside Teddy Bears El Paraiso on a busy Sunday afternoon in April, which allowed the thief to make off with around $800, the store’s manager, who remains haunted by the crime, told AZ Family.
During the robbery, the suspect took a handgun from his waistband and ordered those inside, including children, to put their hands in the air and get into the corner of the store.
Video showed as a cashier handed money to the gun-wielding robber another man, walked into the store unaware of what was happening. The gunman immediately ordered him into the corner with the others.
The video showed the robber becoming impatient as he pulled at the cash register, spilling coins over the counter, then grabbing a stack of notes and making his exit. The AZ Family report stated that in addition to selling toys, the store provides a service allowing people to send money to other countries.
The suspect began by ordering customers into the corner of the store
The suspect then demanded money from the store’s manager who was working behind the register
The incident occurred here, at Teddy Bear El Paraiso, in Mesa, Arizona, regarded as one of the safest cities in the US
‘I get nervous. I don’t feel safe. You can tell when someone has the intention to do a lot of harm. I saw that in his (suspect’s) eyes,’ store manager Eliseo Francisco said
In addition toe selling teddy bears, the store also provides a money transfer service
‘I get nervous. I don’t feel safe. You can tell when someone has the intention to do a lot of harm. I saw that in his (suspect’s) eyes,’ store manager Eliseo Francisco told AZ Family.
Francisco said his 9-year-old son was with him behind the counter when the incident occurred.
‘When he pointed the gun at me, I knew he would shoot me if I didn’t give him what he wanted. At that moment, I prayed to God to help me because it was life or death,’ he added.
When the manager handed over all of his cash, the suspect demanded more.
Mesa Police Sgt. Jamey Cox agreed with Francisco’s description of events.
‘It was a scary moment… He showed a handgun to kids in the middle of the afternoon, in a toystore. So to us, he’s dangerous, he’s armed, and we need to find him,’ the officer told Fox Phoenix.
The manager believes that because of the money-transferring service he provides, they were targeted by a criminal. He added, as a rule the staff does not keep much cash in the register.
The suspect remains at large. He has been described as male, mid to late twenties, 5-feet-7inches to 5-feet-9-inches tall, weighing between 150 and 160 lbs. He wore blue jeans, a long-sleeved orange shirt, a black baseball cap, a black head mask, a red bandana and black glove on his left hand and gray sneakers with a white stripe. He was armed with a handgun.
Anyone with information on the suspect is asked to contact police at (480) 948-6377.
None of the children in the store were physically hurt during the robbery.
Francisco said after the robbery, he took new security measures, including installing a barrier at the register and a new chime on the door. ‘I would feel more calm when he’s arrested and not able to do this again,’ he also said.
According to the Mesa Police Department, the suburb is among the safest in the United States with its current crime rate the lowest in the town’s recorded history.
