ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Three men are in jail after attempting to steal $20,000 worth of cell phones from an Orange County T-Mobile store on Saturday, deputies said.
It all happened at a T-Mobile retail store on Orange Blossom Trail, near State Road 417.
Orange County deputies said the men initially got away with the stolen cash and merchandise, but were caught shortly after the robbery.
No one was hurt.
Customers inside the store at the time of the incident said around 5:30 Saturday afternoon, the men stormed inside and forced everyone into a backroom.
"The two suspects enter the store armed with firearms, point the guns at store personnel, customers and at least one child," explained Lt. Jim Deleu of the Orange County Sheriff's Office.
Deputies told WFTV the masked men swiped dozens of smartphones worth $600.
However, one of the store employees slipped away to contact authorities.
"The employee exited the store as the robbery was transpiring and ran to the Chick-fil-A and was on the phone relaying information to the Sherriff's Office as it was ongoing," said Deleu.
Deputies were already patrolling South Orange Blossom Trail when the call went out.
They quickly arrived at the scene and caught the get-away driver. But that's when authorities saw the two suspects dart across several lanes of traffic, in an attempt to get away.
"At least one of the suspects threw two weapons into the retention pond," said Deleu.
Crime scene technicians are looking for the guns.
All of the stolen phones and cash were recovered.
WFTV
