The east valley has fallen victim to multiple armed robberies in the last four days. The latest happening, just before closing last night at the Coco Freeze in Indio. Since then, Employees here still shaken up about the whole ordeal. They tell NBC Palm Springs this has never happened there, but suspect that this isn’t the first time this armed robber threatens a business and then runs.
Today, things were business as usual at the ice cream shop.
“The day was normal,” said Cecilia Garcia, a Coco Freeze employee who experienced the robbery.
Customers were coming in as if nothing had ever happened.
“It was just that night…it was weird.”
A night Cecilia Garcia will never forget.
“We were cleaning up because we close at 9. We didn’t have the door locked just yet because there are some customers that come in last minute.”
However this man, wasn’t a customer.
“The first thing I saw was the gun, and then he swerved it over to me, then he put it down.”
The armed suspect proceeded to demand she give him the money.
“Open the register, open the register.”
Now, hile Cecilia stayed in the front of house, next to the cash register, her two coworkers ran into a bathroom in the back, locked themselves in, and called the police.
“He had a hospital mask with gloves, with a hat, something covering his tattoos.”
Emotions visibly running rampant as the chaos unfolded. Employees running toward the back of the business and breaking out in tears.
“I was freaking out. I was crying. I thought that if I didn’t go up to the register he was going to shoot,” Cecilia told NBC Palm Springs.
It was these moments of uncertainty that made the two minute ordeal feel like an eternity.
“I wasn’t sure what was going to happen next…like if I was going to be there.”
When police arrived, the three coworkers embraced. At that point, they were just happy to be alive.
“We got lucky that night.”
The Indio Police Department is still investigating this robbery, saying it could potentially be linked to the other in Coachella earlier last week. In both crimes, the suspect was left handed and disguised in a similar way. For now they are still at large.
