Hialeah Jewelry Store Worker Shot, Robbery Suspects On The Loose
HIALEAH (CBS4) - Hialeah Police are looking for four robbery suspects who opened fire on a jewelry store worker before fleeing the scene.
Hialeah Police spokesman Eddy Rodriguez said one person stayed in a car outside while the three other suspects entered the ABC Jewelry store on the 3500 block of West 18th Avenue just before 6 p.m. on Monday. "They ordered everyone to the ground at gunpoint so everyone was scared for their lives and they started smashing up showcases," said Hialeah Detective Carl Zogby.
The suspects reportedly disarmed a security guard while one person, who was armed with a gun, shot the store clerk.
The clerk, identified by family as Alfredo Betancourt, was alert and conscious when transported to Jackson Memorial Hospital.
Betancourt, the son-in-law of the jewelry store's owner, was reportedly shot in the stomach.
Cousin Alberto Cruz said Betancourt's wife and children were with him at the hospital where he was expected to undergo surgery.
"I know he's in the hospital. We're trying to find out what's going on with him," said Cruz.
The suspects are believed to have fled the scene in a white sedan. There is a BOLO, or Be On the Look Out, for the four men.
Police called them "extremely dangerous," noting the clerk was shot even though no one resisted. Zogby said, "that's why we call it a hostile takeover - a very very dangerous situation God knows what they're capable of if they face resistance."
Police say they are attempting to collect surveilllance video.
It is unknown at the time if the suspects were able to make off with any jewelry or money.
Anyone with information is urged to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at (305) 471-TIPS.
