Surveillance video key to cracking $500K jewelry heist, Md. police hope

(CBS) OXON HILL, Md. - Police have released surveillance video of a sophisticated, unsolved robbery that took place four months ago at a Maryland jewelry store in which the thieves got away with half a million dollars of merchandise, reports CBS Baltimore. The hope is that the tape will lead directly to arrests.

Detective David Gross with Prince George's County Police says the suspects had planned out every last detail and that it was much more sophisticated than the standard "smash and grab" robberies. He says he's never seen anything like it, reports the station.

"You just can't see anything. They've got the gloves on, all black. They got the black mask on," he said.

Surveillance footage shows the thieves descending into a small back room of the Rivertowne Jewelers in Oxon Hill and immediately cutting the wires to the alarm.

The three robbers then lower a number of supplies into the room, including gas tanks for a blowtorch. The video also shows where they cut through thick concrete and steel to get into the back of the safe, reports CBS Baltimore.

Police say they got away with half a million dollars worth of jewelry that was inside.

"That's crazy. They're doing 'Oceans 11' on people out here," Aniya King, who works a few doors down from the scene of the robbery, told the station.

The store owner and her brother told the station the heisty has devastated them and that they are still battling for insurance money.

Police hope by releasing video, they'll get the tip they need to bring the family justice.

"They took 25 years to get their business going, and they were wiped out in a matter of two hours," said Gross.

Police say they are looking at a number of persons of interest, but no arrests have been made.

Since the thieves wore masks and gloves, police don't have any DNA or fingerprints to go on.