A group of hooded thieves pulled off a lightning heist at a Brooklyn jewelry store, making off with up to $2 million worth of gems in less than a minute.
Employees and customers who were still inside the Park Slope Facets Jewelry store at about 5 p.m. Sunday when the trio of thugs entered threatened to shoot a worker and began smashing the display cases with hammers. stated the police and witnesses.
“I’m shocked,” Irina Sulay, the store’s owner, told the New York Post on Monday. “Honestly, it is very scary. I couldn’t even talk yesterday. She was hyperventilating, crying, sobbing, shaking.”
“It all lasted 38 seconds. They took away two and a half boxes full of diamond engagement rings, newer pieces that we have designed in-house, and pieces that we have collected – art deco and Edwardian rings,” he said. “I mean 100 rings.” Sulay said the stolen goods are valued between $1 million and $2 million.
“They knew exactly which cases to take on. They only took the expensive items,” she emphasized.
The owner explained that she was helping a client when the team of criminals appeared outside the premises, two stayed behind and the third rang the bell to enter the jewelry store.
“I always like to give people the benefit of the doubt,” he said. “It’s hard. Try not to racially profile anyone and not judge or discriminate.”
When they walked in, he recounted “the guy reaches into his pocket and pulls out a hammer—I didn’t even understand how a hammer could fit in there—and he says, ‘and that’s how you use a hammer.’ He smashed three of our main screens.”
He disclosed that one of his employees picked up the phone, “but she was shaking so she handed me the phone and that’s when the guy at the door yelled, ‘Don’t move! What the hell are you going? I’m going to shoot you!’”
After the robbery, the three thieves fled the place with the merchandise and remained fugitives from justice.
None of the people were physically injured during the robbery, nor did the criminals show a firearm.
However, the event left employees and customers upset.
“Just yesterday we were talking about the new year, that it was going to be a good year, and eight days later a crazy situation happened,” he said.
“This is a women-run business. We are all mothers. There are three women in front.”
The owner requested that the number of New York City police foot patrols be increased in the normally quiet area, adding that it has been rocked by other recent crimes.
“The police around here are great once they’re on the case… But there needs to be more police patrolling the street,” Sulay said.
Although the owner is “praying” that the authorities locate the thieves, she said that the jewelry store will work by appointment until security is strengthened in the neighborhood.
“I am so scared that I am not even opening the door to my loyal customers,” Sulay said. “I even recognize who they are and won’t let them in.”
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