DURHAM, N.C. — A lunchtime crowd in Durham got more than they bargained for Wednesday.

Around 12:30 p.m., a man with a gun went into the Haverty's Furniture store on Highway 15-501. There were only three employees inside at the time. Two of them managed to escape right away.

Police surrounded the building, checked all the cars in nearby parking lots and brought in search dogs after a witness spotted the robber running away. Dozens of customers at a restaurant next door had to sit tight until officers were done.

Nearly three hours after the call, police found the third employee hiding in the store. The suspect still has not been caught.

Detectives describe him as a black male in his mid-20s, 5'8", with a medium build. He was wearing a black parka-style coat with a hood and gray sweatpants at the time of the robbery.