TJ Maxx robbed for rent money, police say

VENICE - A terrifying robbery at a T.J. Maxx department store last week was an inside job, according to investigators.

Tuesday, police announced arrests in the robbery that touched off a SWAT team standoff, and a lot of questions.

Now three people are under arrest, and two of them actually worked at the store.

Police say the three men live a short distance from the store. All three share a mobile home, and police say they were plotting to get rent money.

Michael Rose, Mathew Graffin, and James Rogers each face charges of armed kidnapping and armed robbery.

Police say the amateur nature of the crime soon became apparent.

Two armed men came into the store, and some shopper made it out in time to call 911.

"When we arrived on the scene we were told that the felons were still in the building so we conducted it as a hot situation," said Captain Tom McNulty with the Venice Police Department.

Over the next four hours, police pulled out four employees and two shoppers, and discovered the robbers were long gone.

Investigators say they were scared away by an alarm that sounded by victims running out a back door.

But the bad guys also ran out a back door, and that raised some suspicions.

"It's not a straight-through exit, which if you went inside the store and you were told, 'ok go through the exit,' you wouldn't be able to find it," said Venice police detective Alex Gregiore.

Late last week, witnesses came forward saying they went to a mobile home to purchase firearms.

That's when one of the men living there made comments about the robbery, and weapons.

Monday, Venice police arrested 19-year-old Mathew Graffin, a three-year employee of he T.J. Maxx, as well as a store stocker named Joshua Michael Rose and another man, James Rogers.

All three share a home and a vehicle thought to be the getaway car, and they allegedly shared a criminal intent.

"It was a plan that was hatched prior to this obviously. Mr. Graffin opened the front door and let the other two in," said Venice police Lt. Ron Solares.

They got away with nothing, and investigators say Graffin and Rose kept on going to work, acting as if everything was normal. They say Graffin was even tied up and interviewed as a victim in this case.

Now we're told he provided a full confession, including the motive: rent money.