Two masked men -- one pointing a gun, the other brandishing an ax -- broke down the door of a North Philadelphia grocery store and demanded money. Philadelphia police hope video of the robbery helps them track down the suspects.
The robbery took place at the Yahya Grocery Store on the 800 block of West Venago Street around 2:25 a.m. Wednesday.
Surveillance video released by Philadelphia police Friday shows two men -- one in a gray New Balance hooded sweatshirt and the other in a black hooded coat -- mulling around outside the store. Both men appear to be wearing medical-style gloves. The man in the gray hoodie then picks up what appears to be an ax.
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You then see the man with the ax go inside and lift his weapon, beginning to slam it against something.
"Suspect #1 began hitting the security door with an axe while suspect #2 had a black firearm pointed at an employee," police said in a news release.
Another angle of the video then shows the ax man repeatedly striking the door while a worker -- who is blurred in the video -- raises his arms and appears to be saying something the the robbers. After several blows, you see the guy in the gray hoodie then kick in the door, sending it across the floor.
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"When the suspects broke through the security door suspect #2 continued to point the firearm at the employee demanding money," police said.
You see the gunman in black pull a bag out of his pocket and hand it to the ax man in gray.
The man with the ax then rifles through the register as the employee appears to have his hands up for much of the time. The man in black then appears to pick up some items off the floor before he and the man with the ax flee the store.
The duo "fled the store with two cartons of cigarettes and $750," police said. They dashed off down 9th Street.
Luckily, the store worker wasn't injured. The overnight clerk told NBC10's Miguel Martinez-Valle that he was scared and thinking of his family overseas.
Police asked anyone with information to contact them online or by calling or texting 215-686-TIPS (8477). Tips can be made anonymously.
There are additional resources for people or communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Further information can be found here.
