The owner of a Norwood deli held up in an armed robbery is now taking extra measures to stay safe.Chris Lopez runs the store and told the Norwood News he and his employees will be “more careful.”

“Just sand point in case something like that happens again,” he said, adding the store will be “closing earlier, temporarily until [the suspects] get caught. Then we’ll return hours to normal.” Prior to the robbery, the deli, in business for three years, was open 24 hours.

The robbery took place in the early hours of Oct. 14 when three men wearing masks stormed into the store and demanded money from the cash registers, according to police. One of the men pointed his handgun at an employee at the register while another suspect tied up the other two shift employees. The third robber approached the register and filled a backpack with $1100. After spending approximately three minutes inside, the suspect fled in a dark, four-door sedan.

One Legend Deli falls within the borders of the Jerome Gun Hill Business Improvement District, which provides consultation and service assistance to over 200 businesses. El Jalapeno Food Market just a block up was burglarized during the summer.

Describing the suspects as Hispanic men in dark clothing, authorities are currently investigating if the incident is linked to a string of store armed robberies in Manhattan. Lopez has had his other store in Manhattan recently robbed, telling the Norwood News he thinks this could be the same thieves from before.

Compared to last year at this time, robberies have risen slightly by 0.8 percent, tallying at 254.

Anyone with information on the robberies and the three individuals is asked to call the NYPD’s CrimeStoppers Hotline at (800) 577-TIPS(8477). Calls will be kept confidential.