Supermarket (stock)
Supermarket (stock)iStock

Two suspects wearing helmets on Thursday morning stole the weapon of a supermarket security guard in central Israel.

The supermarket is located in a haredi neighborhood in Petah Tikva. Footage published on social media shows that the suspects entered the supermarket, approached the security guard as if to speak to him, and jumped on him, grabbing his weapon and escaping the scene.

Neighborhood residents who witnessed the scene quickly reported the incident to the police, who arrived within a short time and began chasing after the two suspects.

In a statement immediately following the incident, Israel Police said, "Investigators from the Petah Tikva police station opened an investigation after receiving a report about two suspects who arrived at a Petah Tikva supermarket, attacked the security guard, stole his pistol, and escaped the scene. Officers from the station are searching for the suspects, as well as collecting evidence from the scene."

One resident of Petah Tikva's Hadar Ganim neighborhood told Channel 12 News, "I saw the people suspected of stealing the pistol this morning. I noticed them riding on an old motorcycle near the preschools' campus. They turned towards Begin and turned right into the mehadrin market."