NEW JERSEY (KYW Newsradio) — A woman was pepper or bear sprayed after hours in a Burlington County restaurant Saturday night.
Evesham Township Police say around 10:30 p.m. a man wearing a gas mask went into Mikado Japanese Sushi and Steakhouse on Route 70 in Marlton after it closed.
Investigators say the suspect used pepper or bear spray on a worker, tied her hands and feet, and duct-taped her mouth shut before stealing cash from the register and taking off.
They say a coworker found the woman, who was later treated and released from the hospital.
Evesham Township Police Chief Walt Miller told our partners at NBC10 they believe bear spray was used because responding officers “had a reaction to the chemical.”
According to Get Bear Smart's website, when used on humans, bear spray can cause swelling or irritation of the eyes, nose and lungs.
Officials say this robbery has some similarities to one that happened in Medford last Tuesday, also around 10:30 p.m.
“The M.O. seems very similar in the fact of the chemical agent that was used, that he was wearing a mask. I mean, in this incident, we know it was a gas mask,” Miller said.
They say the suspect in that incident stole the victim’s wallet and phone.
Investigators are looking into if the same suspect is behind both robberies.
“It seems that the level of violence is escalating if both are related,” Miller said, “and we are concerned that, if not apprehended, it's going to escalate and somebody is going to get hurt.”