HOUSTON – A popular restaurant was robbed in broad daylight on Monday.
Customers inside the Cafe Express near River Oaks said two armed Hispanic men, one wearing a mask, came in through a side door of the business around 6:15 p.m.
The customers were too afraid to speak on camera, but said one man went to the register and robbed the cashier, while the other went after customers, pointing his gun at them while asking for purses and jewelry.
"Oh my gosh, that's really awful. I would think that this is a safe area, we're in River Oaks and Midtown and I've never heard of anything like that. I would hope it never happens again," Tanya Korrodi-Kirkland said.
Customers say at one point they heard a shot fired by the man near the register, and shortly after, the man who was demanding things from customers also fired into the ceiling.
"I live half a mile down the road and I've eaten in this restaurant dozens of times. And to hear something like that in the middle of the day is just crazy," Mike Winters said.
Police say no one was hurt during the robbery, but after they got what they wanted, the pair took off and jumped in a gold car before getting away.
"It's really, really scary, just makes you think you need to take care of yourself, and you're watching your surroundings always because you never know," Korrodi-Kirkland said.
While police are still searching for the robbers, this community is left shaken by the crime.
"Just the fact they fired off their gun inside a restaurant makes you think they probably would do something more if they didn't get what they wanted or what have you," Mike Winters said. "Makes you wonder where is it safe anymore, right?"