$6M NYC jewel heist amid New Year's Eve festivities caught on video
NEW YORK -- Police in New York City are searching for three suspects caught on video in a $6 million New Year’s Eve jewelry heist that happened as thousands of officers watched over revelers packed into Times Square.
The theft occurred at KGK Holdings, which specializes in rare pink and yellow diamonds, jewelry wholesaler in midtown Manhattan, located on the sixth floor of a nondescript office building. Investigators said two of the men were seen on the surveillance video attacking a safe before busting the security camera, CBS New York reports.
The trio broke into the building armed with a pry-bar and a sledge hammer, police told the station. The suspects took jewelry valued at about $6 million from two safes and left through a sixth-floor stairwell, CBS New York reports.
The NYPD is investigating whether the heist was an inside job carried out by someone who knew about the expensive merchandise and where they could find the safes. CBS News’ Don Dahler reports the freight entrance was unlocked, and so were two of the four safes -- unless the burglars had the combination.
“The focus on that day was terrorism, active shooter, violent crimes -- burglary of a jewelry store was not on their radar. That is why these perpetrators acted on New Year’s Eve,” said former FBI agent Manny Gomez told CBS News.
Police haven’t yet identified the suspects, but the video captured a close-up image of one of the suspect’s faces. The NYPD is asking anyone who recognizes the suspects to contact them.
Anyone with information is asked to call 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).