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Owner Opening Dade Business Faces Armed Robber

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- A man starting off his work week faced a scary sight - a masked man pointing a gun at him.

It was 5:30 a.m. when Silvio Alvarez was opening the gate to his business - a tow truck business located in southwest Miami-Dade near SW 29th Road and SW 71st Avenue.

Moments later, an armed man confronted him and at gunpoint demanded money, keys and a gold chain from the man, Miami-Dade Police said.

"When I opened the door, I saw a man with a gun and he was pointing it at me," said Alvarez.

"When I got here, my dad told me that he opened the gate to the yard where the trucks are. As soon as he opened the gate, somebody walked outside and shot him," said Alvarez's son Christian.

A bullet grazed Alvarez's back, according to his son. Police say he was also shot in the arm.

The man complied with the robber's demands, officers say.

The armed robber took off in an unknown direction with money and the gold chain - an item his son says is worth $15,000.

The injured victim was taken to Kendall Regional Medical Center in stable condition. He later returned to his business wearing his hospital gown. Alvarez was taken back to the hospital.

His son, Cristian, told CBS4's Peter D'Oench that his father had never been robbed before at work but he says he and other family members had told his father not to wear such expensive jewelry to work.

"We told him millions of times not to wear his chains, that he was going to get robbed," said Cristian.

The shooting of his father prompted a warning from his son.

"Not to wear anything valuable in the streets, unless you are going to go to a safe place," said Cristian. "Be careful at night. Wherever you go, check your surroundings."

Authorities have not released a description of the masked gunman but say he was wearing a gray hoodie, gray sweatpants and a stocking covering his face.

Miami-Dade Police detectives are trying to see if they can find useful surveillance tape of the gunman,

Anyone with information is urged to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at (305) 471- TIPS (8477).

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