Apologizing Robbers Spray Store Workers With Mace

SNELLVILLE, GA -- A man in the middle of robbing a Snellville Verizon store stopped to apologize after a second robber sprayed workers at the store with mace, according to police.

Gwinnett County Police say they are looking for two men who robbed the store, at 3496 Centerville Hwy., shortly after 9 a.m. on May 18.

The two made off with 65 mobile devices, including various smartphones and tablets.

With black paint on their faces, the two men walked into the store and the first walked up to two employees, saying, "I don't want to hurt you. I just want the phones," according to a police news release.

The men were taken to a safe where mobile devices were stored and, as the first man began taking phones, the second sprayed both employees in the face with mace.

The employees told police the first robber got "very upset."

"Why did you spray them?" he said, according to the news release.

He then apologized on behalf of his partner in crime, the employees said, and told them to make sure to wash their eyes out.

Video surveillance footage of the crime even shows the first robber getting a roll of paper towels and wiping spray off of the face and head of one of the victims, before giving that victim some towels to wipe his own face.

The courtesy didn't extend long, however. The two robbers then bound the employees with duct tape before leaving the store.

The first robber is described as a skinny, black male in his early 20's, standing about 6'0'' and wearing a black baseball cap, black hooded sweatshirt and grey jeans.

The second also is described as a skinny, black male in his early 20's. He stands about 5'7'' and wore a black baseball cap, black zip-up hoodie and black jeans.

(Photos courtesy Gwinnett County Police Department)