Police Search For Suspects After Armed Robbery At New Jersey Mall

ELIZABETH, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- Four armed thieves were on the run Tuesday, after police said they burst into a mall and robbed a jewelry store.

Now, the NYPD is involved in the investigation.

As CBS2's Erin Logan reported, no shots were fired, and no one was hurt in the midst of all the chaos, but the city of Elizabeth's Mayor's Office said four masked men robbed a jewelry store around 9:45 a.m. just minutes before the mall opened.

The NYPD is working with Elizabeth Police to see if the men are responsible for another robbery.

Police cars lined the outside of the Mills at Jersey Gardens Mall after Jewelers on Fifth Jewelry Exchange was robbed by armed men.

Two mall employees were just about to go on their break and didn't make it far.

"All we see is everyone running and throwing their stuff and I grabbed her and we ran back to the store," Jeanye Cerritos said.

"I'm a little nervous. Shaken right now," Liliana Quizhpi said.

Shortly after, they learned that four men dressed in dark clothes and caps, one with a semi-automatic, robbed a jewelry store just before opening. The men didn't fire their weapon, they simply took what they needed and took off.

After the fact, curious shoppers tried to look in the store, while police investigated.

"You can notice all the jewelry missing from some of the cases, so a bunch of stuff is missing,"Carlos DeSouza said.

The NYPD said they too have detectives investigating the case. They believe two of the suspects may be responsible for a robbery at a T-Mobile store on Staten Island on Monday. In that case, police sources said two men wearing black masked and white gloves showed a firearm and took off with 60 cells phones and $900 -- they fled in a silver colored Infiniti with New Jersey plates.

"They did come over the bridge. We'll search for that car, we'll see where we can find it in Staten Island. Right now it's a joint investigation," NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce said.

The Elizabeth Mayor's Office believes the men in Tuesday's robbery my have taken off in a black Audi. There was no word whether they took off with any money, if they displayed a weapon, or just how much jewelry was stolen.