By John Howell
Two robbers who struck Batesville’s Zaxby’s Restaurant about 10:25 p.m. Monday night entered through an apparently  unlocked back door after employees had closed for the evening to clean up. They caught the manager in the office counting down the registers, preparing to deposit the day’s proceeds. The robbers spent about 45 seconds in the building.

The scene was recorded from several angles inside Zaxby’s on video surveillance. Described as black males, one appears in the video to be tall, the other of average height. They were disguised in hoods, ski masks and rubber gloves and entered the doorway pointing large caliber, semi-automatic pistols at workers.

One of the robbers collared an employee to lead him into the manager’s office. Another video from the restaurant office shows the manager counting money from cash registers when the first of the two robbers bursts in, preceded by the collared employee. He points the pistol at the manager and pushes her around while stuffing cash into a gym bag with the other hand. The second robber joins him and also grabs money from the cash drawers and from a nearby table-top safe with its door open, apparently waiting to receive the cash counted from the drawers.

Within 45 seconds of their entrance, the robbers leave through the same back door. As soon as it closes, an employee can be seen running to the door to lock it behind them.

Batesville police are asking for help in identifying the two men. Call Detective Jeremiah Brown at the Batesville Police Department, 662-563-5653. The robbers entered about 10:25 p.m. and spent about 45 seconds inside before fleeing with the store’s cash.