Caught on camera: Gunman steals $30,000, important documents from Paradise Halal Meat in Paterson
The surveillance video shows a masked man pointing a gun at the store owner, who was sitting in his office in the back of the store.
News 12 New Jersey has received surveillance video of an armed robbery at a market in Paterson. It took place at Paradise Halal Meat on Saturday.
The surveillance video shows a masked man pointing a gun at the store owner, who was sitting in his office in the back of the store.
The suspect is heard saying, “Hurry up, give me everything. Put everything in the bag.”
The victim, Abdelgawad Elsayed, quickly handed over $30,000 in cash from a drawer.
The owner’s son, Mohammed Elsayed, tells News 12 New Jersey that his father was traumatized.
“He’s terrified. He hasn’t been coming to the store since that happened. It’s kind of difficult to have someone point a gun at you,” says Mohammed Elsayed.
Paradise Halal is both a market and butcher shop, located alongside several halal markets that line East Railway Avenue. Mohammed Elsayed says the money stolen was needed to buy meat.
“We buy every week, between $30,000 and $40,000 worth of meat from the auction,” Mohammed Elsayed says.
Mohammed Elsayed’s father did return to the store on Friday, at which point News 12 was told he believes he may know who did this.
Abdelgawad Elsayed says in the video you can see the gunman hold up his phone and say, “Give me the paper.”
The family says that on that phone Abdelgawad Elsayed saw a photo of a woman he knows.
The “paper” he demands, are documents, including passports and Social Security numbers, which Abdelgawad Elsayed handed over to the gunman.
Police in Paterson have confirmed that they are looking into this robbery.
Paterson police also announced that they have made one arrest in the armed robbery of the Yadiel Barbershop last week. In that case, four gunmen could be seen robbing the owner and customers of cash and jewelry before driving away in a silver Nissan Marano.
Officer in Charge Issa Abbasi said through a social media post, “I am immensely proud of the work of our officers and investigators to quickly bring in one person connected to others are in custody.”
Anyone who may have information about the halal market robbery is asked to contact the police.
