MIAMI DADE COUNTY, Florida. — Police arrested two teenagers Monday in connection with an armed robbery and shooting that reportedly left a Miami-Dade tattoo artist in critical condition last week.

According to police, two employees of Eazy Street Tattoos (13433 SW 56th St. in the Miller Shops in the county’s Kendale Lakes district) were taking a break in the back of the business Thursday night when they were ambushed by two armed men.

Eazy Street Tattoos employee Cesar Sanchez, who spoke to Local 10’s Roy Ramos from his hospital bed Friday, said he was shot in the back when he was robbed by a former customer and another offender who returned to the shop under the pretense of finishing a tattoo session.

Miami-Dade police identified the men Tuesday as Elijah Young and Nathaniel Sweeting, both 18.

Police said at some point during the tattoo session, both Young and Sweeting, along with Sanchez and the other store employee, went to the back of the store to take a smoke break.

A police report states that when Sanchez returned to the tattoo parlor, Young and Sweeting pulled out guns, pointed them at the victims and demanded their property.

According to authorities, Sanchez ignored the order and attempted to enter the store to get to safety, but was shot by one of the two suspects.

Authorities said that shortly after the shooting, Young and Sweeting “forcibly took” various pieces of jewelry and car keys from Sanchez before fleeing the scene in his vehicle.

According to police, Sanchez’s colleague was able to escape the scene unharmed.

“People often tell me I wear a lot of jewelry; you have to be careful,” Sanchez told Local 10 News on Friday. “I never thought something like this would happen.”

Despite his efforts to fight off the attackers, Sanchez was shot as he ran back into the store.

“I took three steps into the tattoo parlor and the other guy just shot me,” Sanchez said. “I guess he panicked because he didn’t expect me to fight back.”

Authorities confirmed that Sanchez was taken to HCA Florida Kendall Hospital for treatment, where he was initially listed in critical condition and then stable.

Investigators found that in addition to shooting Sanchez, the robbers also stole valuable items, including a $30,000 Rolex, a $20,000 Cuban link chain and two bracelets. The robbers then fled in Sanchez’s car, authorities said.

Police said the other employee was unharmed, while Sanchez expressed his dismay at the situation to Ramos.

“He’s one of my clients. He robbed me for no reason. I never did anything to him,” Sanchez said. “I can’t understand why someone I trusted would do something like that.”

Jail records show that both Young and Sweeting are each charged with attempted premeditated murder, armed robbery with a deadly weapon, car theft during an armed robbery and concealed carrying of a firearm without a permit.

The arrest report for Young and Sweeting did not indicate which of them was Sanchez’s client.

As of Tuesday, both suspects have been held without bail at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.