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Police Search For Robbers Who Dragged, Pistol-Whipped Staff At East Village Video Game Store

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A cashier was pistol-whipped, and another employee was forced to the ground, during an armed robbery at a video game store in the East Village this week.

As CBS2's Alice Gainer reported, surveillance video showed an employee being dragged from the back of Video Games New York, at 202 E. 6th St. Afterward, a man at the counter was seen striking the cashier in the head with a gun.

It all happened around 11 p.m. Monday, as workers at the store were about to close up.

"Kind of doesn't make a lot of sense," said store owner Giulio Graziani. "It's a video game store. Ninety-nine percent of the people pay credit cards, so cash is really minimal."

Graziani said the suspects only made off with a few hundred dollars. He said the store has been in its 6th Street location for 10 years, and no such crime has ever happened before.

But the eight security cameras at the store captured a clear image of both suspects. One was seen wearing a gray sweat shirt, sunglasses and a Dodgers baseball cap.

Video Games New York is not the only store on East 6th Street that closes late. Employees at the hair salon next door are also on duty into the night.

"Been working for here for about two years," said salon employee Jeff Boyes. "It seems like a pretty safe area, so it's news to me."

News of the robbery made one salon employee irate.

"Times are hard. I'm barely… who steals from a freakin' video game store? What, are you stupid?" said salon employee Bob Francis. "Be a man. Work. Work like I do. I work 19 hours straight. I cut my freakin' hands up. I cut my freakin' toes up. Get out of here."

The store is also located right next to Marymount Manhattan College dorms, but there are locked doors and security guards in that building.

The cashier who was struck in the head was taken to Bellevue Hospital Center, where he received six stitches, Graziani said. As of Wednesday, the cashier was at home resting for the week, along with the employee who was dragged.

Anyone with information on the robbery was asked to call the NYPD Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS, log onto the Crime Stoppers website, or text tips to 274637 (CRIMES) and enter TIP577.

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