Gun-Toting Woman Wanted For Broward Store Robberies
HOLLYWOOD (CBS4) - Like a scene from a violent video game, the gun-toting thief bursts into a store, pumps a round into the air and orders everyone to comply with her demands.
Except it's not a game -- it's a real-life scene playing out at four stores in southern Broward County over the past few days.
Police in three Broward County municipalities are hoping to catch a gun-wielding woman on a crime spree before she strikes again.
The female thief is wanted for committing four armed robberies since Monday. Three of the robberies occurred at GameStop stores. The 4th occurred at a Subway store.
In each crime the thief's m.o. is the same -- she walks in with a gun, fires a shot into the ceiling, waves the gun at customers and employees and demands cash.
On Monday, the woman robbed GameStop stores in Pembroke Pines and Miramar. Surveillance video shows her ordering a store employe to fill a black bag with cash.
On Wednesday, the woman robbed a GameStop in Hollywood and a Subway restaurant in Hollywood.
In each robbery, she wears a bandana over her face. No one has been injured in any of the robberies.
Customers at GameStop in the 4900 block of Sheridan Street in Hollywood said they were surprised by the news.
"The fact that it's a woman is kind of weird because I hear stuff like this happen all the time but usually it's guys that do this stuff," said Bert Garcia, who was shopping at the GameStop with his daughter, Sara.
The Garcia's were concerned that a thief would fire a weapon in a store popular with children. During the robbery, the thief got away with $356.
At the Subway in the 6100 block of Hollywood Boulevard, Danny Lynch said he frequents the shopping plaza with his two young children.
"It just shows you the respect that people have for authority these days, obviously no respect for authority or anything," Lynch said.
An employee at the Subway said the thief stole about $125. That proved to customer Marcus Brown that the thief is incredibly desperate.
"For 125 bucks?" Brown said. "That ain't worth it, man. That's stupid if you ask me."
Police want to put this woman in jail. If you know who she is, call Broward County Crimestoppers at (954) 493-TIPS. You can remain anonymous and you could be eligible for a reward.
A spokesperson for GameStop told CBS 4 in an email that "GameStop does not comment on ongoing police investigations, but we take the safety of our employees and customers seriously and we are working closely with local police."
