HAMMOND - A pair of would-be thieves fired several shots, then fled, after encountering a worker inside a store they intended to rob.

Hammond police said the incident happened Monday about 3 a.m. at the Yellow Store in the 300 block of East University Ave.

Two men used a crow bar to break through the glass front door and entered the business. There, they were surprised by an employee who was inside the store.

Police say three shots were fired as the crooks ran off. The employee was not hurt.

Surveillance images show the men were wearing masks, long sleeves, dark clothing and gloves.

Anyone with information on the crime is asked to call the Hammond Police Department's Criminal Investigations Division at (985) 277-5739, or Crime Stoppers of Tangipahoa’s anonymous tip line at (800) 554-5245.