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A dramatic scene unfolded at a Texas outlet as surveillance footage captured a group of suspected thieves making a hasty getaway following a jewelry heist described by one expert as “mob-style.”
Authorities reported that on Tuesday, around 12:47 p.m., officers responded to an urgent call about a robbery in progress at Marc Robinson Jewelers, located in the Round Rock Premium Outlets, an outdoor shopping destination near Austin.
According to store employees, the suspects stormed into the jewelry store armed with hammers, proceeding to smash glass display cases and seize valuable jewelry.
In a brazen move, the thieves reportedly used pepper spray on an employee and a bystander before escaping with what police described as a “large amount of stolen jewelry.”
Authorities urge anyone with information regarding the incident to reach out to Detective Dwayne Riley at (512) 218-6619 for assistance in the investigation.
Video obtained by FOX 7 captured the group fleeing the store in the aftermath of the attack.
All suspects were seen wearing masks and gloves as they fled the scene.
Several suspects are at large after a robbery on April 21 at the Round Rock Premium Outlets. (FOX 7)
Police located the vehicle, a blue Hyundai Sonata the suspects were described as fleeing in, at a nearby apartment complex.
The vehicle, police said, was stolen out of the Humble, Texas, area. The recovered vehicle was taken for processing, and the case remains active.
Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact Detective Dwayne Riley at (512) 218-6619.
Store employees told police that multiple suspects entered the store at the Road Rock Premium Outlets carrying hammers and began breaking glass display cases and stealing jewelry. (Google Maps)
International Crime Free Association Executive Director Timothy Zehring told FOX 7 that this was “mob-style execution.”
“The modus operandi that the FBI and the Jewelers Security Alliance talk about, first, is the mob-style execution of these crimes. You’re generally looking at between 10 and 30 masked suspects that charge into the store, sometimes with weapons, but there are massive losses in under 60 seconds,” he said. “The price of gold has skyrocketed lately and so these crimes are very lucrative.”
Zehring said these crimes are preventable by implementing a layered security approach.
“Bollards are a great way to prevent people from smashing in. The next thing is shatter-resistant glass and film that you can put over glass even if you don’t replace the glass. Think of window tinting on your car. If they put this film on the glass, even if the glass breaks, it holds intact so they can’t get in,” Zehring said.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Round Rock Police Department for additional information.
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