Fireworks stand employees robbed on Christmas Eve

HOUSTON (FOX 26) - Ray’s Feed store is pretty well known and the fireworks stand it operates outside the building is very popular during the holidays, especially on Christmas Eve. Instead of feeling the Christmas spirit, employees feared for their lives while being robbed and the men who did it are still out there.

It was around 8:40 p.m. on Christmas Eve when three men and a driver pulled up in a light-colored Ford Explorer to the fireworks stand outside the store on Cullen Boulevard. The men exited the vehicle, wearing hooded sweatshirts which made it hard to see their faces. They carried guns and pointed them toward the employees' heads. In a terrifying moment, they demanded the employees get on the floor.

“She screamed, 'They got guns!,' and then she started hitting the ground," says Doug, who has been employed at the stand for almost twenty years. "I turned around and started walking, the door come open and the guy was standing there and he pointed his gun at my head and said, 'Get down' and then we laid on the floor. They asked for the money I told them the money was there and he kept telling me, 'I know there’s more money. Where’s the money, where’s the money?”

The robbers ultimately left with several hundred dollars in cash, fireworks and the wallet and cellphone of one of the employees. And in an instant, they were gone without a trace.

Les Ray, who has owned the feed store for 38 years, says this is the first time he has ever been robbed and hope the men are caught.

Ray and some customers have come forward to offer a reward to anyone with information leading to an arrest. That amount right now is up to $6,000. You can contact the Harris County Sheriff's Office if you have any additional information.