MIAMI – A manager and two employees were threatened with a knife during an attempted robbery at a Dollar Tree in Miami on Monday morning, authorities confirmed.
The incident began when the suspect, who Miami police identified as 28-year-old Marcos Yoan Rodriguez, tried entering the Dollar Tree, located at 2905 NW 27th Ave., with a backpack just after 9 a.m.
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Authorities said the store manager, who was not publicly identified in the arrest report, informed Rodriguez that he could not bring a backpack into the store.
Miami police said Rodriguez then left the store, walked to a red Cadillac Escalade in the parking lot, and returned without the bag.
Once back inside the store, Rodriguez proceeded to the frozen food section, where he placed several items into a shopping basket, according to the report.
Rodriguez then walked past the cash register without paying for the items, which were still inside the basket, and attempted to leave the store, the report stated.
Police said as Rodriguez exited the store, the manager and two other employees confronted him.
Rodriguez then lifted his shirt, revealing a silver kitchen knife, and threatened the employees, saying, “Don’t get close. I will chop you up,” police wrote in the report.
The second employee also recalled the suspect saying, “Don’t get close. I am armed,” police said.
Rodriguez then left the store and got into the front passenger seat of the Cadillac before fleeing the scene, according to investigators.
The store manager managed to take four photographs of the fleeing vehicle, one of which clearly showed the license plate, according to police.
Authorities said tactical robbery detectives with the Miami Police Department were able to locate the vehicle shortly after the incident, finding Rodriguez inside the front passenger seat.
Detectives said they also discovered a silver kitchen knife behind the front passenger tire of the vehicle.
Police also confirmed a witness who knew Rodriguez was able to identify him from a still image taken from surveillance video.
Authorities said Rodriguez was taken into custody without incident.
Jail records show he is facing one count of armed robbery with a firearm or deadly weapon.
Rodriguez did not appear as an inmate on the Miami-Dade jail website as of Tuesday afternoon.