Men wanted for robbery with machete at Gwinnett Dollar General
Men with machete rob Dollar General Store
Two men armed with a machete forced an employee at a Dollar General Store to open a safe and stole the victim's cell phone. Gwinnet County police are looking for the men.
GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. - Gwinnett County police are searching for two men accused of robbing a Dollar General store at machete-point.
Officers responded to the store on Lawrenceville-Suwanee Road after a reported armed robbery on May 19. Surveillance video shows two suspects entering the store wielding a machete and forcing an employee to open the store’s safe.
What we know:
Surveillance video shows the two men, dressed in white shirts and dark pants, waiting outside the store until all customers had left before storming inside.
"One of the suspects brandished a machete-like object," said Cpl. Juan Madiedo of the Gwinnett County Police Department. "It appears these two suspects waited outside the store until the store was empty and there were no patrons inside."
Video footage captures one suspect wrestling a female employee to the ground and holding her down. The second suspect pulled a male employee from behind the counter and forced him to the floor.
"They’re held down, one of them is forced to open the safe," Madiedo said. "This particular case was pretty violent."
The robbers forced the woman to open the store’s safe, but they ultimately left with empty deposit bags.
"Luckily, for the business, those deposit bags were empty. They had made a deposit earlier that day," Madiedo said.
Before fleeing, the suspects stole both employees’ cell phones. No customers were inside at the time, and no injuries were reported.
Police described the suspects’ clothing as resembling uniforms with shirts that had names on them. Authorities warned the suspects are considered dangerous.
What they're saying:
Gracie Bonner, a frequent shopper at the store, said the robbery was unsettling.
"That’s actually pretty scary, especially being a single mother," Bonner said. "It makes me not want to go out by myself. It definitely makes me want to get some protection to carry around for myself."
What you can do:
If anyone has any information to share in this case, please contact GCPD detectives at 770.513.5300. To remain anonymous, tipsters should contact Crime Stoppers at 404.577.TIPS (8477) or visit www.stopcrimeATL.com. Crime Stoppers tipsters can receive a cash reward for information leading to an arrest and indictment in this case.