Two arrested, accused of grabbing jewelry from shoppers

DELTONA, Fla. — Two men are accused of charging through a Publix parking lot and ripping jewelry off of shoppers.

Police said Sidney Walker and Gelani Cox were arrested following the attacks at the store on Elkcam Boulevard in Deltona.

"It was surreal, it was like, 'Did this really happen?'" said one victim.

"It happened so quick. First he was there, then he was gone," said John Belmore, another victim of the attacks.

Some eyewitnesses said the assaults and robberies happened in just seconds.

Three men, all in their 50s and 60s, were targeted, investigators said.

Deputies said the two men went from man to man taking their jewelry.

Belmore said the situation became even more frightening when the men tried to grab at his neck, but instead grabbed a medical tube implanted in his chest, for chemotherapy.

"If he would have hurt that, I would have end up in the hospital and everything else," said Belmore.

A man and his son-in-law tried to chase the men down but the pair got away. The man called 911.

"I'm at the Publix. We're chasing the guys," the man told the 911 dispatcher. "[If] I had my gun I would've [expletive] blown his head off."

Investigators said the victims all gave detailed descriptions. Using that information and surveillance video deputies were able to track the men down at a nearby home where they were arrested.

According to investigators both of the men have long criminal histories that include weapons violations and burglary.

WFTV