Store staff robbed and assaulted
Although the shoplifter's accomplices escaped, she did not let up her assault and went as far as pulling the manager around the store by her hair, pushing her against the wall and pulling out a knife.
“If there were security guards walking around, this would not have happened!” exclaimed a disgruntled store manager.
This comes after she and her staff were assaulted by a shoplifter on Saturday afternoon at Newcastle Mall.
The store manager, who wished to remain anonymous, said their nightmare began when three men and two women came into their store at 4pm. “One of the women was caught putting stock between her legs. When she was approached by a staff member, she attacked,” the manager said.
Shocked at the sudden violent outburst, the manager attempted to help the staff member, when the shoplifter lashed out at her as well.
“It was while we were struggling with her that we realised she was creating a diversion for the other four people. We heard the alarm go off as they left with unpaid merchandise,” she told.
Although the shoplifter’s accomplices escaped, she did not let up her assault and went as far as pulling the manager around the store by her hair, pushing her against the wall and pulling out a knife.
“At one stage we had tried to get her into the storeroom, but she broke the door and said she was going to stab me.”
The woman then stole the manager’s cellphone and vanished among the afternoon shoppers.
What upset the store manager the most, was that during the entire incident, she and her staff had screamed for help but their pleas fell on deaf ears.
“After the shoplifter had left, one of my staff ran looking for a security guard in the mall but could not find a single one,” she claimed.
Security apparently arrived at the store 20 minutes later, after the five suspects had fled with an undisclosed amount of stock and the stolen cellphone.
Having taken the brunt of the assault, the store manager explained her body was riddled with bruises, simply because no one had helped.
“People were too scared to help because the woman had a knife, but the security should have been there. It isn’t like we are in a store alongside the street,” she complained.
According to a statement issued by Newcastle Mall management, they treated incidents such as this seriously and the matter was under investigation. Measures as a result of the investigation will be implemented with immediate effect once complete.
