OCOEE, Fla. — WFTV obtained surveillance video of an armed gunman who burst into a back office at an Ocoee Winn-Dixie grocery store, grabbed the store manager and then locked him up in a cooler.
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"He did not come into the safe room. He found the store manager and then came to the safe area," said Sgt. Mike Bryant of the Ocoee Police Department.
In the video, the man is seen grabbing an employee and orders her to open the safe. He then shoves her to the ground, and takes the money from the safe. At one point she covers her face, and then she gets up and opens the door for him. She complies with his demands and as the thief leaves the room, he grabs the employee and shoves her to the ground.
Detectives say the robber took thousands of dollars in cash, but he also stole $1,500 worth of stamps.
"Oh my gosh, that's terrible. We've been coming here for a long time, never heard anything like this," customer Leslie Landelfeld said.
Detectives say they have a clear image of the suspect's face. He was trying to blend in as a shopper then he waited until closing time before he made his move. While he robbed the store, customers were still shopping and had no idea employees were being held hostage.
Ocoee police hope the man will try to sell the stamps, which may then generate a lead.