Both robberies took place at Houston AT&T stores. The first was at the store on Shepherd near Westheimer, which was robbed last Saturday. The most recent robbery was yesterday at the AT&T store on Studemont near Washington.
"My employee was on her knees and they had a gun to her back," said the store owner.
Surveillance photos were released from the two robberies, where customers were also threatened, specifically a mother and her school-age daughter.
"She was really distraught, and they were both in a fetal position in the back," said an employee.
The robbers were in and out within four to five minutes, but not before taking thousands of dollars in iPhones and cash.
"'If this has GPS on it, I'm gonna kill you.' I mean the whole time they have guns and they were both waving them around in the daughter's face," said the employee.
"Our employees have guns at their heads and we even heard them cock one of the guns and one said 'let's go empty out the safe. Where's your cash? Get all of your cash for us,'" the store owner said. "So (what's) the next thing they are going to do? Are they going to shoot someone -- coming in with customers in the stores. It is just not right."
The store owner says a red car has been seen at both locations. The robbers escaped quickly.
The owner believes it was the same group of two to three men each time, something under investigation by Houston police.
"They are like mini computers. They've got a small box with a big street value," said the store owner. P> The store owner and the employee didn't want to be identified because of the violent nature of this crime. Authorities say the stolen iPhones will be blacklisted here in the U.S. They have serial numbers so they can't be used here but they can be sold abroad.
The owner say he is willing to work with Crime Stoppers adding a $2,500 reward for information leading to an arrest.
If you have any information on these robberies, you're being asked to call authorities.
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