EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — El Paso police are asking the public to avoid an area in the Segundo Barrio on Wednesday afternoon as an armed suspect has barricaded himself inside a business.

According to the El Paso Police Department, traffic has been closed at the 900 block of South Stanton Street, near Mata’s Fruit Store (at the intersection of E. 7th Avenue), as a suspect has secured himself inside the business, and police say a “weapon is involved.”

Information is limited at the moment as this is a developing situation, but EPPD said the emergency call originally came in as an aggravated robbery in progress at around 3:49 p.m.

According to an EPPD spokesperson, Robert Gomez, who spoke with KINT, a store owner reported a suspect described as a Hispanic male entered the business with a weapon that was described as a handgun.

Police said the store owner left the store and locked the door behind her. Officers then tried to make contact with the suspect but were unable to, and SWAT was called to the scene for what was believed to be a barricaded subject.

During the investigation, officers reviewed surveillance video that showed the suspect leaving through the rear of the business, police said.

Officers searched the business with SWAT and checked the immediate area, but did not locate the suspect, who police said fled the scene.

Gomez said the only description available was a Hispanic male about 40 to 45 years old, adding that police were reviewing video and would not provide a clothing description “until we can verify what the clothing looks like.”

Police said they believe the suspect has left the area and do not believe there is danger to the surrounding area, but Central Regional Command will continue searching and monitoring in case the suspect returns or is located.

Meanwhile, authorities said the area would reopen to the public once the investigation inside the store is complete and urged anyone who saw what happened to call the nonemergency line or Crime Stoppers.

This is a developing story; check back for updates.

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