JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A clerk who police said they once thought was a victim when a Westside pawnshop was robbed has been arrested after being accused of pulling off an inside job.
A surveillance camera at the Cash America Pawn in the 5100 block of Normandy Boulevard captured pictures of two armed men as they held up the store last October.
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The men, later arrested and identified as Gregory Frazier and Austin Bennett, demanded money and jewelry during the heist, but police said it was the clerk, Michelle Rodriguez, who set the up crime.
Police said the store's surveillance photo launched an intense investigation. The photo even made an appearance on the local station and on the Channel 4 Wheel of Justice.
Investigators said someone saw the picture and called Crimestoppers to help them crack the case.
"The Wheel of Justice is a great tool for us as a law enforcement agency. It gives us the opportunity to give more exposure to these thieves, robbers, rapists and sometimes murderers," said Jacksonville Sheriff's Office spokesman Ken Jefferson.
Officers arrested Frazier and Bennett, and men are charged with armed robbery. However, police said their investigation was far from over.
After months of investigating, police said they realized they weren't looking for just the two men caught on tape, but for three people.
Police said Rodriguez was working at the pawnshop in more ways than one. According to police reports, Rodriguez knew the robbers and called the men from inside the store to let them know when the time was right for an attack.
Investigators said thanks to the viewer who saw the story and the robbery photos on the news all three suspects have been taken into custody.
"It just goes to show you we can't do this without the community. We need the community's help," Jefferson said.
The person who called in the tip that led police to Frazier, Bennett and Rodriguez will get a cash reward, according to investigators.