Robbers targeting popular restaurants across Houston area

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- HPD is on the lookout for two armed men who robbed a northwest side Subway restaurant on Wednesday. The robbery is the latest in what Crime Stoppers calls an uptick in robberies at area fast food restaurants.

Employees of the store, located at 5329 Antoine Drive, say that the robbers acted quickly and violently once they were inside the store. The terrifying moments were captured on surveillance video obtained by Eyewitness News.

The surveillance video shows two men wearing hooded sweatshirts and masks run inside the store and corner employees in a back storage area just before 3pm.

"He said get on the floor, everyone on the floor. He then grabbed a lady (employee) to go open the register," an employee, who asked not to be identified, told Eyewitness News.

After grabbing a female employee by the neck and forcing her to the ground, one of the thieves orders a second employee towards the register.

"I thought I was going to die. I could see in his eyes and I knew he would of killed us if we didn't do what he said," the employee said.

According to HPD's latest data, robberies are up by approximately 2.5 percent citywide. Police are still working to compile specific numbers on armed fast food robberies. However, Crime Stoppers says that such robberies are on the rise.

"Just in the last six months or so we've seen an uptick in fast food robberies and they're coming in just about every week from Harris County Sheriff's and Houston Police Department," said Crime Stoppers spokesman, Jeff McShan.

The suspects are described as African-American men in their early 20's, approximately 6' tall, and weighing approximately 160 pounds.

"I know somebody out there knows something. I'm hoping that by talking to the abc13 someone will recognize these guys and say something. I won't feel safe until they're caught," the employee said.

Anyone with information should contact Houston Crime Stoppers at 713-222-8477.