Anthony Yates
Four masked thieves escaped with an estimated $2 million haul from a jewelry store in Seattle. The shop remains closed while staff repair the damage.
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According to a news release by the Seattle Police Department, the incident occurred on August 14 at around midday at “a jewelry store in the 4500 block of California Avenue Southwest.” Four masked suspects broke into the building by breaking the front glass door with hammers. They then reportedly smashed six glass display cases full of jewelry, diamonds, and luxury watches.
The news release reveals that one of the display cabinets contained up to $800k in Rolex watches. Another housed an emerald necklace worth $125k, while others stored gold jewelry.
Authorities Explain That The Jewelry Store Heist Was Over In 90 Seconds
The Seattle Police Department notes that the thieves entered the store, grabbed the jewelry, and left within 90 seconds. During that time, one suspect pointed a can of bear spray and a taser at the store employees while the others robbed the place. The suspects reportedly escaped in a getaway vehicle and left the scene before the police arrived.
The press release concludes that nobody was hurt. Officers searched the area, but the suspects remain at large.
In an interview with KIRO 7, Bret Gibson, an employee at a nearby gym said, “You could still hear a lot of breaking glass and banging around and stuff. So they were in there around noon, still robbing the store while everyone was on the phone calling the cops.” He added, “You could just hear a lot of banging and stuff for a while. Then, once it stopped, everyone looked in through the windows, and employees made their way back in and started the cleaning process.”
The outlet reveals that the suspects escaped in a silver Subaru. Police reportedly told KIRO 7 that they believe the robbery was “planned and calculated.” According to AP News, John Menashe, the store’s vice president, said, “We’re pretty shook up as a staff. We’re gonna be closed for a while.” He told the outlet staff that they had finished cleaning up the broken glass and were now working on a complete inventory of the stolen goods.
