Thieves steal cash from ATM, leave employee beaten in Philadelphia convenience store

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A convenience store employee was beaten in Philadelphia on Sunday while thieves stole cash from an ATM.

Philadelphia police say the victim was hit several times in the face before two suspects ran away with an unknown amount of cash.

The incident happened just after 2 p.m. at the North 17 Convenience Store in the city's Tioga-Nicetown neighborhood.

Police say a 30-year-old man was restocking money in the ATM when two male suspects approached the employee with a gun and demanded money.

The offenders struck the employee in the face and then stole the cash from the ATM.

Authorities say the suspects continued to beat the victim after getting ahold of the cash. They pushed the employee toward his car and then took money from a black bag inside the vehicle.

Video from after the robbery shows the ATM dismantled with no money left inside and blood on the store's floor.

Both suspects were last seen running westbound on Tioga Street while the victim was taken to the hospital.

There is no word yet on his condition.

Residents in the area say this robbery is not a surprise.

"This place is pretty dangerous. I remember my first month of moving here, actually, someone tried kidnapping me. I witnessed a drive-by shooting and all these other things. I moved down here for school, so I'm just trying to graduate and get out of here because stuff like this happens all the time," said Ricky Washington from North Philadelphia.

Washington has only lived in the area for less than a year, he told Action News.

This robbery is the second crime to take place at the North 17 Convenience Store in the last few months.

Back in May, police say thieves tried to steal money from the ATM by placing an explosive device on the machine.

The blast blew off the front part of the ATM, but the suspects ran away when they realized they could not access the cash box.

Officers say in this latest theft, the two suspects were wearing all-black clothing, ski masks, and gloves.

Anyone with information on this incident is asked to contact Philadelphia police immediately.