Pasco County deputies say a Ford’s Garage employee was robbed at gunpoint as they took out the trash Sunday in Wesley Chapel.
It happened around 10 p.m. when someone approached the employee, held a gun to their back and demanded their belongings. The employee handed over a smart watch and the cash in their pocket.
"Anytime somebody threatens your safety and your life, for a lot of people that haven’t experiences, that I can see it would be a life changing event,” said Daniel Evers, who goes to the shopping center off 54 a lot. "You don't know what's in the person's mind that's doing that and I would tell people that you don't want to give them any reason to get agitated.”
The restaurant's management company, 23 Restaurant Services, says they’re working with deputies. When ABC Action News asked if employees are allowed to take the trash out alone, they said there are internal policies in place and they are reviewing them.
"I think as a rule of thumb, as a safety measure, it's probably a good idea to go out in pairs of two. A lot of convenience stores, it's a good idea at night for two clerks to be on duty,” said Evers.
The company also says there is nothing more important than the safety of the team members and guests.
Pasco County deputies say they have looked at security footage in the area but none of them seemed to have caught the thief on camera. They are asking anyone who may have seen what happened to please call or e-mail them with details.
