Jewelry store heist in Midtown, near Veterans Day Parade route

NEW YORK -- Police are looking for suspects in a jewelry store robbery in Midtown Manhattan Tuesday afternoon, less than a block from the Veterans Day Parade route.

Two armed suspects hit the store on West 47th Street off Fifth Avenue just after 2:30 p.m. The two, one posing as a deliveryman, held employees of an eighth-floor store called Watch Standard at gunpoint and forced a worker to open the safe.

Authorities said three men and one woman were in the office, including a 56-year-old man, his 27-year-old daughter, his 32-year-old son and his son's 37-year-old friend. They were robbed of cash and jewelry, and the 56-year-old was apparently pistol whipped in the head before being ordered to open the safe.

It was not clear what the suspects took because the owner opened the safe and ran out. Police were reviewing surveillance cameras to see where they went.

Into the night, crime scene units dusted nearby business for fingerprints, searching for clues. Earlier in the day, the response was almost military. Heavily armed Hercules units lined the streets, police dogs scoured the neighborhood, and helicopters searched from above.

Workers in the Diamond District were locked in their stores and offices and checked one by one. And eventually, they were escorted out, single file, as K-9 units searched inside and on the rooftops.

There was a heavily armed police presence at the scene, as seen in these videos provided courtesy of Avi Kessler.

The first suspect is described as a black man, approximately 6 feet tall, 40-50 years of age, wearing a dark trench coat, light colored slacks, and a tweed colored Kangol hat.

The second suspect is described as a black man, tall, 30-40 years of age wearing a red baseball cap, True Religion jeans, black zipper hoodie, and black sneakers.

Nearby businesses were evacuated or told to keep doors locked, as it was unknown if the suspects were still inside the building.

No arrests were immediately made.

Police closed West 47th Street as they investigated.