Witness Mariana Guizar, who was working in a nearby restaurant, said that she saw one of the suspects with a pistol, and that the suspects ran away before the police arrived. Another witness, who preferred to be identified only as Laila, said that the two suspects in green gloves and black hooded jackets looked like high school students in their late teens.

She and another witness nearby, who requested to be identified only by his first name, Michael, said that they saw the men approach Subway from Stevens Creek Boulevard.

“They were in the store for a few minutes, if that,” said Michael, who said that he did not hear any conflict in the store. “They left and… the police arrived five to ten minutes after that.”

A man who identified himself as the Subway chain manager showed up at the scene after robbers had fled and sat behind the store near the parking lot as his employees spoke to police. He declined to comment on the situation.

Three police officers scouted the rear parking lot of Subway and its neighboring restaurants armed with guns and a search dog. Patrol cars were seen down Lomita Ave., and had flood lights on near the intersection of Orange Avenue and Hermosa Avenue. Helicopters could be seen and heard in the Cupertino area until around 10 p.m., and at least one had searchlights on.