It's not something you expect to see in New York City: A deer running wild inside a clothing store, sending terrified customers and employees running for cover. NY1's Tara Lynn Wagner filed the following report from Staten Island.

"It really looked like a horror film, with just blood streaks coming down the mirrors."

That's how Margaret Cavuoto described the condition of her dress shop, In Phase Fashions, after a panicked deer rampaged through it.

"The deer was traveling back and forth, knocking into things, running into the mirrors," Cavuoto said.

Cavuoto had propped open the front door for fresh air early Monday afternoon when the deer came charging through. It was bleeding, possibly after being hit by a car.

"At the time, I thought it was just a rather large dog that had come in," Cavuto said.

The animal spent an hour in the store, carving out a path of destruction as it bounded up and down the aisles, charging into racks of clothes, knocking over displays, and even bending an iron gate. 

Frightened, Cavuoto and her workers retreated into an office and locked the door. Customers hid among the dresses and eventually took refuge in a closet.

Employees spent the day tallying up the losses, which they expect to be in the thousands. They say 150 dresses were ruined by blood.

The incident is the latest evidence of an exploding deer population on Staten Island. Two years ago, a deer crashed through a TJ Maxx window in Port Richmond.

Deer collisions with cars have increased, as have cases of Lyme disease. The city is spending millions of dollars trying to control their numbers, even giving vasectomies to male deer.

"I really feel it's out of control," Cavuto said. "Everywhere you go, there are deer and you have to be extremely careful driving."

Parks Department rangers showed up and tranquilized the animal. It was later euthanized by the State Department of Environmental Conservation. The shop was quickly cleaned and reopened.

Not open, however, was the front door. While Cavuoto would like to let the breeze in, after the encounter, she says she's more concerned about keeping four-legged guests out.