GASTONIA, N.C. -- More than a dozen people coming to work or to buy groceries were held hostage briefly by robbers who broke through the roof of a North Carolina supermarket.
Multiple media outlets reported Tuesday that two men armed with handguns and wearing ski masks and hooded sweat shirts got away from the Gastonia Food Lion store with an undisclosed amount of cash.
The robbers surprised store employees arriving for work early Monday, locked them in a back office, then turned on unsuspecting customers who came in to shop.
Police Sgt. Mike Lari said one person was taken to the hospital after suffering an anxiety attack.
Police say the crime appears to be related to a similar robbery at a Gastonia fast food restaurant two months ago.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
