DAWSONVILLE — Authorities are on the lookout for a woman that reportedly held up a jewelry store Wednesday morning at the North Georgia Premium Outlets.

Employees at Zales told investigators the woman entered a short time after the store opened at 10 a.m., brandished a pistol and forced them into the back of the business, where she zip-tied their hands.

“She was able to get away with an undisclosed amount of jewelry,” said Dawson County Sheriff’s Capt. Tony Wooten.

After the two employees were able to free themselves from the zip-ties, they called 911.

“Officers responded and started a canvas of the outlet mall,” Wooten said. “They canvassed other stores in an attempt to find additional video footage that might show something that might be useful in the investigation of the robbery.”

The suspect was described as a white woman, about 5 feet 5 inches tall with average build. She was reportedly wearing a dark baseball cap, blue button-up shirt and khaki pants. 

“At this point, we believe she was the only person that entered the store during the robbery, but it remains under investigation if anyone assisted,” Wooten said.

Previous reports show that the Zales Outlet was robbed once before, in May 2003.

Anyone with information on the crime is asked to call the sheriff’s office at (706) 344-3535.