Rolexes, Emeralds Stolen in $2 Million Seattle Jewelry Heist

Newsweek

a day ago

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
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Four masked suspects smashed through the locked glass front door of a Seattle jeweler on Thursday, making off with roughly $2 million in diamonds, emeralds, gold and luxury watches in a 90-second smash-and-grab.
The Seattle Police Department (SPD) wrote in a press release the heist took place around noon in the West Seattle Junction, a popular shopping and dining area.
One of the displays the suspects smashed at Menashe & Sons Jewelers held about $700,000 to $800,000 in Rolex watches, while others had diamonds and an emerald necklace, according to the report.
Menashe & Sons Jewelers said in a statement posted to Instagram on Friday that none of their customers items were stolen.
Newsweek has reached out to Menashe & Sons Jewelers via email Sunday during non-working hours for more information.
Why It Matters
SPD described the theft as a rapid, organized operation that targeted high-value items and used threats of force to clear staff from the display areas.
The latest incident underscored vulnerabilities in retail security during daytime hours and raised public safety concerns in a busy commercial corridor.
What To Know
Patrol officers responded at about 12 p.m. to a robbery report in the 4500 block of California Avenue Southwest and found that four masked suspects had used hammers to break the locked glass door and then shattered six display cases, according to the SPD.
Police said one display case held between $700,000 and $800,000 in Rolex watches, another contained an emerald necklace valued at $125,000, along with a platinum diamond, and two other cases contained a large amount of gold jewelry.
Officers reported that one suspect pointed bear spray and a Taser at employees while the others removed merchandise, but no injuries were reported, SPD said.
Surveillance video later published by local news outlet KOMO showed suspects breaking into the store and quickly ransacking cases before fleeing in a getaway car that eluded officers responding to the scene.
A Seattle Police Department patch is seen on an officer's uniform, July 17, 2016, in Seattle.
A Seattle Police Department patch is seen on an officer's uniform, July 17, 2016, in Seattle.
AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File
What People Are Saying
Menashe & Sons Jewelers released an official statement on Instagram: "To our valued customers and community. We want to assure you that all customer jewelry and watches are safe and were not among the items taken during the recent robbery at our store. Your trust means everything to us and we are grateful to share this important news with you. As we work to assess, regroup and repair the damage done, Menashe & Sons will be closed on Friday, Saturday and Monday."
Josh Menashe, vice president of Menashe & Sons Jewelers, told AP by phone Friday: "We're pretty shook up as a staff. We're gonna be closed for a while."
Bret Gibson, an employee at a gym across the street, told local news outlet KIRO: "You could still hear like a lot of breaking glass and banging around and stuff, so they were in there around noon still robbing the store while everyone was on the phone calling the cops."
Jim Fuda of Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound told local news outlet KOMO: "They were in for one minute and forty seconds and out the door they went with almost $2 million in equipment."
What Happens Next?
As of Sunday, the suspects remain at large, with no description of perpetrators of the getaway vehicle involved released.
SPD said the Robbery Unit, Crime Scene Investigations Unit, and the Photo and Video Units were all processing the scene and following investigative leads.
Anyone with information was urged to contact the SPD Violent Crimes Tip Line at 206-233-5000, with anonymous tips accepted.