The Long Beach Police Department is searching for three men in connection with an early-afternoon smash-and-grab robbery that took place Thursday at the Rush-A-Fix Jewelry & Watch Repair store on West Willow St.

According to LBPD Sgt. Aaron Eaton, the thieves–donning masks and black hoodies–entered the store at 495 W. Willow St. a little before 2PM and used pepper spray to disable the clerk and a customer before breaking a number of glass countertops and making off with an undisclosed amount of merchandise. Witnesses said the suspects fled the scene and headed eastbound in what is being described as a small, four-door, light-colored SUV.

Eaton said that that both the clerk and customer–who has only been identified as a woman in her 20s–were able to use a bucket of water outside the shop to wash the chemicals out of their eyes. Both were later evaluated by Long Beach Fire Department paramedics and one of the victims was later admitted to a hospital.

According to a report from CBS Local, neighbors of the shop said that this is the second time that the jewelry store has been robbed recently. Eaton said that detectives would be speaking with the victims to try and determine what happened in an effort to catch the suspects.

Police are encouraging anyone with information to call the Long Beach police at (562) 570-7464.

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