Jewelry store at Barton Creek Mall robbed
Robbers targeted a jewelry store at Barton Creek Square Mall on Monday. Austin Police are still searching for them.
In November, Jared's Jewelers in South Austin was robbed. Another big jewelry retailer was hit on Monday - Ben Bridge Jeweler. This comes just days after a woman was arrested for a jewelry crime spree spanning five states.
It seems that jewelry store robberies are picking up across the country. This video shows 24-year-old Abigail Kemp in action. She is accused of conspiring with others to rob stores in Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina and Tennessee. Kemp was arrested on Friday.
These pictures show a similar story in Austin. Two male suspects robbing Ben Bridge Jeweler at Barton Creek Square Mall on Monday.
Police say one suspect pointed a firearm at a store employee and demanded Rolex watches. The other suspect had a blue bag and climbed over the counter, where the items were placed inside.
The Simon Property Group, which owns the mall, sent us a statement saying:
"We are thankful that there were no injuries as a result of this incident, and grateful to the Austin Police Department for their quick response. We are fully cooperating with local authorities and will assist them in any way we can."
Austin Spy Shop says when it comes to robberies, all types of businesses reach out to them for help.
"A couple times a week. Maybe three or four times a week, if not more. It's usually going to be construction businesses, just because there is so much construction around Austin. It can be anything from the big builders losing a giant piece of equipment, and then they're going to want a tracker, or it could just be your small business man and he's losing tools from his workshop," says Heather Bond, assistant manager, Austin Spy Shop.
Their most popular items are hidden cameras and GPS trackers. Why? We're told more people are wanting to take things into their own hands.
"That's the thing about these cameras, all the pinholes are coming out in such high resolution these days that it's perfect for assisting the cops with something like that. I mean, it is a huge city and for something like vandalism on somebody's property or theft at their house or in their business, they are going to need something to help identify," says Bond.
Back in November, Austin Police were looking for a robber who targeted Jared's Jewelry store in South Austin.
Surveillance video shows what police believe to be the same suspect just hours before. He is shown casing the Ben Bridge Jeweler in the Domain.
According to the FBI, the jewelry industry loses more than $100 million each year.
Austin Police are still looking for two black male suspects behind Monday's robbery at Ben Bridge Jeweler.
The first one is described as being 20 to 30 years old, 5'10 in height and thin build. He was last seen wearing a dark "fargo"-type winter hat, dark hooded jacket and dark pants.
The other suspect was also 20 to 30 years old, 5'10 to 6 feet tall. He was last seen wearing a black hoodie, dark sweats and white Michael Jordan shoes.
Witnesses say they fled the scene in a 2010 red Dodge Challenger, which APD officers later stopped.
The two suspects, along with the driver, ran from the vehicle and remain at large.