Employees and customers at a Miami Gardens post office had a frightening experience Friday morning when a trio of armed men entered and robbed them of their belongings.
About 10 employees and several customers were victims of the brazen holdup at the Palmetto Lakes Post Office located at 5375 NW 159 Street in Miami Gardens, police said.
Witnesses and police said at least two of the men were armed, and one of them shoved his gun into one of the clerk's sides, threatening to shoot him.
Surveillance video captured one of the men, wearing a white shirt and tie with his dreadlocks tucked under a white hat, leap over the counter, a bag in one hand and a gun in the other.
A second robber, wearing a blue shirt and dark hat, searched mail drawers as the third thief kept employees and customers from leaving.
In the video, postal clerks work furiously to meet the robbers' demands to empty the cash register, as terrified customers, including a young child, wait for the bandits to leave.
The armed men took money and other personal items, including a customer's car used as the getaway vehicle.
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"They were able to get some money from the counter and they were also able to rob some of the customers who were in the lobby," said Bladismir Rojo with the U.S. Postal Police.
No one was injured during the robbery.
The stolen car was later recovered by police two blocks away. A witness said they'd seen the robbers ditch the car and hop into another vehicle that picked them up.
Authorities said the robbery is somewhat unusual.
"It's not that common here in South Florida," Rojo said. "Everybody knows it's a federal offense."
Police are searching for the men responsible for the robbery. Anyone with information is urged to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at (305) 471-TIPS.
The post office is already offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.
