NYPD: 10 suspects stole $800,000 worth of jewelry from store in the Bronx
NEW YORK -- Police are searching for at least 10 suspects who they say got away with almost $1 million worth of jewelry Thursday in the Bronx.
It was the neighborhood's second brazen jewelry store robbery in less than a week and now business owners are speaking out, CBS2's Zinnia Maldonado reported.
The two major jewelry store robberies happened within blocks of each other on East Fordham Road.
"We are so scared. It's happened twice," a store owner said.
Police said 10 suspects, including one displaying a gun, entered Revel Jewelers at around 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. They allegedly sprayed six workers with bear repellant before breaking a display case and taking off with about $800,000 worth of jewelry.
"I just see like four, five people just running out the store," said Nicholas Lassi, a security guard.
Lassi, who works security at the Skechers next door, said he saw multiple men in black run from the store and head towards Webster Avenue.
"I heard that they were spraying up and down the street as they were running away. I guess to blind everybody else so that nobody could see what was going on," Lassi said.
On August 5, just three blocks away, a major robbery was caught on camera at Rocco's Jewelry on Webster Avenue. A man was buzzed into the store and held the door open for three others. They smashed display cases with hammers before running away with $2 million in jewels.
"This is very uncomfortable working in Fordham, every single day. Every single day you hear somebody get robbed," said Mojib Ullah, manager at Kid City.
Other store owners said they're scared everyday.
"That make us panic. Scary. Just close and run away," one store owner said.
"The goods, you can get it back. But a life, you cannot get it back," said another.
They're calling for a heavier police presence.
"Yesterday, what a big scene, what happened here. Not even one single police officer here. We need here police to protect us," a store owner said.
Police did not say if the robberies are connected. So far, there are no arrests in either case.
Anyone with information about either robbery is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). You can also submit a tip via their website or via DM on Twitter, @NYPDTips. All calls are kept confidential.
