Dozens of shoppers were left injured after a candle heist at a South Florida mall over the weekend, according to The Miami Herald.
The robbery happened around 4 p.m. Saturday (July 17) when an unidentified man entered a Bath and Body Works in Miami International Mall. Armed with a can of bear mace, the man reportedly sprayed around 35 people, including 15 staff members, according to authorities. The suspect escaped the store with a bag full of stolen candles and fled in a yellow cab, they added.
“This is an only in Miami story,” Doral Police Spokesperson Rey Valdes said. “You can’t make this up.”
As for the people affected, some people had to be taken to local hospitals, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said. The store manager, who took a direct hit from the repellant, was taken to the emergency room after she had trouble breathing among other serious injuries, Valdes said. The injuries are not life-threatening.
"A portion of the mall, in the immediate area of the Bath and Body Works, was evacuated after the macing since the repellent can get in the AC system and affect more people," reporters learned. "It is unclear if parts of the mall are still closed."
The suspect's identity isn't known, but once arrested, he could face up to 35 felonies, including armed robbery and aggravated battery, Valdes said.