Share and Follow
Shocked bystanders have watched on in horror as brazen thieves ransacked a jewellery store in broad daylight as brave employees tried to stop them.
In footage of the robbery, three men are seen bursting out of Ellerslie Jewellers & Engravers on Main Highway in Auckland, New Zealand, on Monday afternoon.
The robbers, who wore balaclavas and masks to conceal their identity, bolt to their runaway car while carrying as much precious jewellery as possible.
Confused shoppers jump out of the way to avoid being bowled over by the hammer-wielding thieves as they are chased from the store by sales assistants.
Lesley and Sydney, a mother and daughter duo who work in the jewellery store, are heard calling the thieves ‘f***ing c***’s’ as they bang on the windows and tug at the doors of their blue hatchback getaway car.
In footage of the robbery, three men are seen bursting out of Ellerslie Jewellers & Engravers on Main Highway in Auckland, New Zealand on Monday afternoon (pictured)
Other Good Samaritans tried to help the women by holding onto the doors, but the thieves had been sure to keep the engine running and were able to get away.
Lesley is knocked to the ground as the vehicle speeds down the main road and is seen being helped to her feet by members of the public.
Her daughter Sydney had her hand slammed in the door during the altercation.
NZ Police said officers were called to the jewellery store just after 4:30 pm on Monday, where they found the thieves had smashed a number of glass cabinets before fleeing the scene in a blue hatchback parked outside.
It is alleged the men used hammers and machetes to break the glass.
Lesley and Sydney, a mother and daughter duo who work in the Auckland jewellery store, are heard calling the thieves ‘f***ing c***’s’ as they bang on the windows and tug at the doors of their blue hatchback getaway car (pictured)
Officers arrested a ‘number’ of people in relation to the robbery on the nearby Lunn Avenue just moments after, using the support of a police helicopter.
‘With the assistance of the Eagle police helicopter, the group was soon located on nearby Lunn Ave, where they were taken into custody,’ police said.
The alleged offenders are said to be assisting police with their enquiries.
John Rennell, the owner of Ellerslie Jewellers & Engravers, told the NZ Herald that the thieves had stolen many ‘big ticket’ items.
He had stepped out to run an errand when the thieves arrived and left the store in the capable hands of his wife and daughter.
Read Related Also: Shoppers finding new ways to save money amid soaring inflation
‘We work all year to stockpile jewellery for the Christmas period, it is so disappointing to see it disappear in front of your eyes,’ Mr Rennell said.
The devastated owner said police had attended his shop a few weeks ago to see if his jewellery store qualified for extra security measures like smoke cannons as part of the city’s Small Retailer Crime Prevention Fund.
However, officers were satisfied the store’s security was ‘up to scratch’.
The robbery comes amid an uptick in ram raids reported across New Zealand, as Auckland grapples with a worsening crime wave.
Lesley (who works in the store with her daughter) is knocked to the ground as the vehicle speeds down the main road and is seen being helped up by members of the public
According to NZ Police crime statistics, ram raids have increased by more than 500 per cent for the first six months of 2022 compared to the same period in 2018 as a crime wave continues across New Zealand.
The median age of those involved in 129 raid incidents since May is just 15 years old.
The National Party’s police spokesperson Mark Mitchell told the NZ Herald he believes that while some young offenders are stealing for themselves, others are trained by and connected to senior gang operations.
‘Without a doubt, these youth offenders are heavily influenced by the adult gangs,’ Mitchell said. ‘They’re well-planned, they know exactly what they’re after, they execute it well and they have a getaway car ready to go.’
Police Minister Chris Hipkins said there was no evidence to show a link between ram raids and adult gangs. He said young offenders in danger of succumbing to a life of crime where being encouraged to seek education or employment instead.
‘Ironically, some of the ‘tough on crime’ opposition rhetoric would drive these youth offenders towards gangs rather than away from them,’ he said.
Epsom MP and Act leader David Seymour said he had visited the store and that most of the cabinets had been smashed, and the priceless pieces stolen.
He said small businesses were becoming increasingly vulnerable to attacks.
‘As a local MP I am spending more and more time visiting business owners who have been devastated by these attacks,’ he said.
‘We can’t leave them sitting and waiting in fear that they might be next.’
Members of the public helped Lesley to her feet after she was knocked to the ground while running after the thieves responsible for the daylight robbery (pictured)
