Armed robber hits Tanger jewelry store, composite sketch released

Investigators are searching for a woman suspected of robbing a Tanger Outlet jewelry store at gunpoint Wednesday using a method that is similar to recent robberies in Florida and Georgia.

The robbery happened at Jared Jewlers at Tanger Outlet Two in Bluffton around 11:50 a.m., according to the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office.

The female suspect forced employees to the back of the store at gunpoint before taking an undisclosed amount of jewelry.

She is described as white and is around 5-feet-6 inches tall with a lean build and was wearing a purple or blue striped skirt, lavender shirt and a black hat with a brim, the Sheriff's Office said.

No one was injured during the incident, and employees were not able to see if the woman ran away or left in a vehicle.

Investigators later examined the inside of the store's vault for forensic evidence and are reviewing surveillance footage from the store and neighboring merchants, the Sheriff's Office said.

The incident may be connected to two recent jewelry store armed robberies in Panama City, Fla. and Dawson, Ga.

During those robberies, the Sheriff's Office said a woman with a similar description held up the stores with a handgun, tied up the employees and got away.

Anyone with information about the robbery can call Staff Sgt. Eric Calendine at 843-255-3427 or Crime Stoppers at 1-888-CrimeSC.

Follow Caitlin Turner on Twitter at twitter.com/Cait_E_Turner.

This story was originally published September 2, 2015 at 11:59 AM with the headline "Armed robber hits Tanger jewelry store, composite sketch released."