Armed robbery at Wrentham Premium Outlets

BY DAVID LINTON and STEPHEN PETERSON SUN CHRONICLE STAFF

WRENTHAM — A pistol-wielding robber hid in a high-end fashion store at the Wrentham Village Premium Outlets until closing time Tuesday night, before tying up the four employees and robbing the store of about $15,000, police said this morning.

The robbery was reported around 9:20 p.m. at the Guess Factory Store after the employees, all of whom duct-taped and forced into a fitting room, waited until the robber left and freed themselves. One employee was taken to Caritas Norwood Hospital with minor injuries, Detective Lt. Bill McGrath said.

The robber was seen earlier lingering in the store around the 9 p.m. closing time, McGrath said.

“He may have hidden himself in the store until they were in the process of closing the store,” McGrath said, adding that the store is one of the larger stores in the mall on South Street (Route 1A).

The robber displayed a handgun and duct-taped employees' mouths and feet before forcing them at gunpoint into a fitting room. One of the employees was forced to open the cash drawers for him before that worker was ordered into the room with the others, the detective said. The robber was alone in the store but it is not known if he had someone waiting outside to help him escape, McGrath said.

The investigation is continuing and police are trying to determine if there is any security videotape available to help them identify a suspect, McGrath said.

The robber was identified as a black male in his mid 20s of average height and build. he was wearing a black baseball cap and a black puffy-style jacket at the time of the robbery.

Police searched the mall area and notified surrounding communities but no suspects were found. Plainville and Norfolk police assisted.

State police crime scene investigators were called to the mall.