FRANKLIN
No one was hurt during the robbery at Sears in the Armory Plaza on Friday morning, and the suspect’s threat of leaving a bomb was an empty one, according to store owner Ann Rosenfeld.

Dara Colyer, sales associate, who opened the place at 9:30 a.m., said the man came in about 5 minutes after. She described him as a short black man, kind of chunky and wearing dark clothes, including a dark sweater. Though Colyer said she could not recall any facial details, she did think that he was in his late 40s to early 50s.

“He came in and asked about refrigerators and I showed him,” Colyer said. “At one point we went back to the register — I was on one side and he was on the other — and then we went back to the refrigerators. He asked about getting a Sears [charge] card and I said, ‘Sure.’”

That’s when the situation turned. Colyer said the man then pulled out a sock with electrical tape and a remote control for a DVD player, and he said it was a bomb and that he was robbing her. When he dropped the sock on a counter, she added, it sounded as if marbles were inside.

“At first I thought it was a joke. Then he grabbed me and took me to the register,” Colyer said.

She was ordered to get on the floor and told that if she got up somebody in a car outside would shoot her. “I was too scared to look up.”

At no time, Colyer added, did she see the suspect use a gun.

Rosenfeld, who was coming in as the suspect went out, confirmed that the man took off with $140 and two different tool sets. Police, fire and rescue units responded to the scene a little before 10 a.m. Employees at nearby stores were evacuated.

Yolanda Jordan, a sub-maker at the Subway next door, said she saw an older black male come out of Sears. She described him as being probably in his 50s, bald, seemed to be missing some teeth, and “was a little off.” Jordan said she based that on the way he walked. She also noticed the suspect was carrying “a lot of tools in his hands.”

She did not see the vehicle in which the suspect made a getaway.

Wendy Jenkins, manager of the nearby bowling alley, said that before going into her business she also saw a black man walk into the store. But at the time, Jenkins added, “I thought nothing of it. I see that all the time…maybe I should pay more attention.”

Previous to the sighting, she and another co-worker were out talking to Colyer as she put out some lawn mowers in front of the shop, which is a regular activity.

“He had to have been watching us,” Jenkins said.

She also said she has two cameras stationed at the bowling alley, and will look later to determine if the suspect can be seen.

Jim Jones said he was waiting for the Sears to open to buy some washers, but was parked at an angle and didn’t see anything.

Rosenfeld said the incident was not the first time the store had been robbed.

In early December 2011, two men, one who was an employee, had taken cash and merchandise. They were later caught.

Standing outside waiting to be readmitted to the store, Colyer said she’s feeling better, but “I’m still kind of freaked out. I’m still watching everyone.”

Repeated calls to the Franklin Police for other details were not returned.