Three masked men attacked supermarket employees in Berlin-Marienfelde, threatened them with a weapon and stole money. The robbers intercepted the man and the two women leaving the store on Richard-Tauber-Damm after work on Friday evening, the police said.
One of the attackers is said to have sprayed irritant gas into the 42-year-old employee’s face. The other robbers are said to have forced the two 27 and 29 year old women back into the shop. They are said to have demanded money at the point of a knife, which the employees eventually gave them. The younger woman is said to have been threatened with another weapon.
An off-duty police officer driving past the store noticed what was happening. He called for backup while the robbers fled.
Police arrested two 19-year-old suspects nearby. On one of them they found the stolen money and a clown mask, on the other an irritant spray device. They also discovered a dummy weapon in the checkout area.
All items were confiscated and the supermarket received the cash back. The 42-year-old supermarket employee was taken to hospital with eye irritation, but the women were uninjured. Officials said they were continuing to search for the third suspect.