Police Investigate Robbery After Suspects Take Over Cartier Store
CHEVY CHASE, Md. (WJZ) -- Thousands of dollars worth of high-priced jewelry is now in the hands of robbers after a smash-and-grab job at a Cartier jewelry store. Montgomery County police are now looking for the suspects.
Rochelle Ritchie reports a police chase followed.
It's now 12 hours since the robbery and still no arrests. Montgomery County police say they are looking for multiple robbers.
A crash scene in Chevy Chase is the end of what started out as a robbery at a Cartier jewelry store around 11 a.m. Tuesday.
"The whole crime took less than a minute," said a police officer.
Montgomery County police say after employees buzzed in an unknown man, the smash-and-grab job began. The man held the door open and let his thieving accomplices into the store on Wisconsin Avenue. The robbers shattered glass display cases and took out whatever they wanted at will.
"No weapons used in this case," said an officer.
Police got to the jewelry store just as the robbers were leaving. A short chase followed, but was called off just before entering D.C. One officer crashed with the getaway car during the chase. He was taken to the hospital, but the thieves got away.
"I seen them go this way and then police everywhere," said an eyewitness.
Cartier could be considered the Rolls Royce of jewelry, with items being worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
"This place would be the last place they'd dare to come in. That's amazing. I'm shocked," said one woman.
This smash-and-grab is very similar to a jewelry store robbery in Frederick, in which employees at Colonial Jewelers were held at gunpoint and ordered to the ground as the robbers took watches worth thousands of dollars. Police are not saying if the crimes are related.
Masks were worn during the robbery, so there isn't a good description of the thieves.
