Man armed with a knife robs Boston candy shop: "It's really heartbreaking, really disgusting"

Five minutes is all the time the owner of Madeleine's Candy Shop said one man needed to rob her store in Boston's South End Tuesday night, stealing not just money, but her sense of safety. 

"It's really heartbreaking, really disgusting that this happened because it really is such a safe space," said owner Madeleine Brason. 

Around 7:30 p.m., she says a man wearing a mask walked into the store on Clarendon Street and pulled a knife on the only employee working. 

"And had her sit on the floor and told her to wait five minutes after he left," she said. 

According to Brason, the robber demanded money from the cash register but didn't get away with much, "Only like one $100 or a few hundred dollars." 

At the time of the incident, she told WBZ News that she was working at her soft-served ice cream shop two doors down. "And that's when I called the police," she said. 

Fortunately, the police say no one was hurt during this incident and the owner calls it, "A crime of opportunity and desperation." 

Residents like Shelley Crosby are still in shock. "This is a pretty safe neighborhood. So, hearing about a store getting robbed is surprising," Crosby said. 

Alexander Albregts added, "It's just really tragic actually and you would think, a candy store? what are they doing?" 

According to the Boston Police Department, no arrests have been made in this case.

"This is obviously something you have to be somewhat prepared for," Brason explained. "Especially when you work in retail in an urban environment and truly honestly anywhere but definitely shock given that it happened during rush hour."