A jewel to behold
Employee commended for standing firm as robbers attempt daring heist
Published:Thursday | May 11, 2023 | 1:47 AMAndre Williams/Staff Reporter
The management at Pavilion Jewellers is heaping praise on a member of staff who, despite her emotional state, did not comply with repeated instructions of armed thugs to open a vault during a robbery yesterday.
Speaking with The Gleaner on condition of anonymity, a senior manager said she was glad nobody was hurt and that things could have been worse.
The robbery occurred less than an hour after the location’s 10 am opening.
According to the manager, the employee in question was probably in shock and the staff was still on edge.
“Oh yes! She saved the day… I don’t know if she was frightened and acted in fright,” the senior manager said.
The robbers reportedly disarmed one of the guards at the jewellery story, and some customers at the location had their phones taken.
The senior manager, who was not at the store at the time of the robbery, said she was told that the robbers were wearing Guardsman security uniforms and masks.
“We don’t even have Guardsman at this location,” she said, adding that the robbers were brazen.
dramatic Escape
There is CCTV footage of the robbery and aftermath as more drama unfolded when the robbers made their escape.
“Their buddies (cronies) were waiting outside, and they left them. They were running on foot, and it look like they showed a gun to one of the cars it looks like and they hijacked the car,” the manager said.
The group of at least five robbers reportedly stole jewellery, cell phones, appliances and video games.
Up to press time, management and the police said they were unable place a value on the losses as an assessment was ongoing.
“I’m leaving the police to figure it out and get everything sorted out,” the manager said.
When The Gleaner arrived at the location, other store operators on the plaza had no idea what had taken place at Pavilion Jewellers.
“We see police cars and ambulance and that was when we started making checks. These robbers are so daring. They don’t care if is a baton or gun the security have they taking the risk,” a store owner told The Gleaner.
The staff, lounging on the inside of the jewellery store, were visibly shaken as investigators combed the location for clues.
The St Andrew Central police are probing the robbery.
Up to April 30, the Corporate Area police division had recorded a 4.6 per cent decline in robberies.
There have now been 22 reports so far compared to 21 for the corresponding period in 2022.
National Security Minister Dr Horace Chang last month announced that the Police High Command has established a special team of investigators to track down and capture the suspects behind the recent series of robberies.
During his contribution to the Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives, Chang said the authorities were concerned about the attacks, which have sparked fear across the country.
Chang says intelligence has revealed a worrying trend where high profile criminal gangs have formed alliances to carry out robberies.