Raiders Flee as Jewelry Store Owner Fires Shots
November 27, 25
(IDEX Online) - Raiders fled when the owner of jewelry store pulled a gun and fired several shots.
Five masked men had just stormed Olivia's Fine Jewelry, in Madera, California, USA, and started smashing glass display cabinets.
They fled when the unnamed owner produced a firearm from the back of the store and chased them towards the door.
No injuries were reported, but there were bullet holes in the display cases. There were no reports that the raiders carried firearms.
"I believe the store owner did what he felt was necessary at the time," said Sergeant Blake Short, of the Madera Police Department.
"We don't always recommend that in this field. Fortunately, no one was harmed in this situation."
He said the raid appeared to be well planned. "This was definitely meticulous. It was thought out. It did not appear to be a first time for these individuals," he added.
The thieves escaped with $170,000 of jewelry in the raid, at around 7pm on 13 November.
They fled in a dark grey Audi sedan, previously reported stolen, which police recovered after it was abandoned outside Madera city limits.
Surveillance TV image shows the store owner firing shots at raiders.