Police are searching for three men accused of committing an armed robbery at a grocery store in Paterson, New Jersey.

The theft incident reportedly occurred around 8:30 p.m. According to authorities, the three suspects entered a grocery store located at the corner of East 24th Street and 15th Avenue in the 5th Ward of Paterson, NJ. The area is reportedly plagued by a high crime rate.

One of the suspects allegedly brandished a gun and struck one of the store employees in the head.

The suspects reportedly got away with an unspecified amount of money during the robbery. The suspects allegedly stole cash from the store registers. The suspects also allegedly took cash, iPhones, and a gold chain from the store workers.

The Paterson Police Department was alerted as soon as the suspects fled the store. However, law enforcement was unable to locate the suspects.

If police are eventually able to identify and apprehend the robbers, serious criminal charges would likely follow. As set forth by N.J.S.A. 2C:15-1, anyone who commits a theft while armed with a deadly weapon such as a handgun or knife can be charged with a first degree felony and face 10-20 years in New Jersey State Prison.

To learn more about this case, see the NorthJersey.com article entitled “Police: Three Men Rob Paterson Grocery Store.”