MONROE — The suspects in a brazen, daytime armed robbery of a small Mexican grocery near the downtown square remain at large, even as the owners struggle to remain open.

Police are continuing their search for three or four suspects in the Jan. 26 crime. Posts to social media over the weekend accused the same bunch of cashing thousands in bad checks at the business prior to allegedly conducting the robbery.

A new array of photos, including one clearly showing a face, also were posted to the page of the store’s owner, Raquel Acatzihua. “I think it is the same group who took $80,000 from us in bad checks,” she said, speaking through an interpreter Thursday.

Still, local police say they aren’t yet sure if it is the same group.

“We are aware of that information (on social media) and our following up on it,” said Capt. Jerry Dahlen. “At this point it isn’t tied to (the robbery) but we are still investigating.”

The robbery happened at 3:30 p.m., when Monroe Police were called to Grocery Abbarotes La Orizabena, 1504 11th Street, in Monroe’s downtown.

Initial reports said three masked Hispanic men entered the business, each displayed a handgun, and then robbed it of an unknown amount of cash. The three then fled the store, running east on 11th Street and then south into a nearby alley. 

An undetermined amount of U.S. currency was taken in the robbery. At some point the men then got into an all-black, 4-door sedan with a damaged hood, which was likely occupied by a fourth person. It is unknown whether the fourth suspect was also armed.

Those with information on the crime, car or suspects are urged to contact police.

Acatzihua said the store remains open but she and her husband are afraid and still don’t know how they are going to pay a check-cashing company they work with for all of the bad checks.

“It’s not the same good feeling in here as before, the feeling is different,” she said. “After it happened to us twice, we are scared of it happening again…but we have to try to make some of the money back.”