JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) responded to the Seaglass Smoke Shop near the intersection of Firestone Road and 103rd Street following reports of an armed robbery around 7:30 a.m. Friday.
According to the employee on duty, who chose to remain anonymous, a masked man entered the store with a knife and approached the counter.
“He puts up the knife to me, comes to the counter and he goes, ‘If you don’t move and give me what I want, I won’t hurt you,’” the employee recalled.
Instead of complying, the worker immediately went into defense mode. She began yelling at the suspect and threw the cash register scanner along with several other nearby items at him until he fled the scene.
Following the encounter, the employee contacted JSO. She told officers she recognized the suspect’s voice from previous visits to the store and was able to provide a detailed description to investigators.
While the incident was deeply shocking, as she hasn’t seen anything like that in the 5 months she’s been working there, the worker noted that the aftermath highlighted the strength of the surrounding neighborhood.
Regular customers and local residents quickly came in and called the shop to check on her well-being.
“We just made sure she was good,” said Jahari Kortez, a customer who rushed to the store after hearing about the incident. “She gave us a hug, [we] let her know everything was good.”
Another local customer, Breyana Copeland, noted the employee’s resilience despite the terrifying ordeal. “She just shook it out though,” Copeland said.
The employee expressed feeling “blessed” by the immediate outpouring of support from the community she serves.
JSO has not yet announced any arrests in connection with the robbery. We will provide updates once we get more information.
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