Jewelry Thieves Make Off With More Than $100,000
HIALEAH (CBSMiami) – Miami-Dade police have released surveillance video and pictures of two men who robbed a jewelry store Thursday morning and got away with thousands of dollars in jewelry and cash.
Just before 10 a.m., employees of K and Y Jewelers in the 6800 block of NW 169th Street buzzed two men into the store..
"The first guy walked to me and tied me and made me get on the floor," said K & Y Jewelers Manager Kirinia Padin. "My mom was over there and he tied her to the floor too, so he then came to the safe and took everything inside the safe money and the jewelry."
Padin says the armed robbery, which was caught on camera, only lasted three minutes but felt like an eternity.
"He said if we touch the panic button he'd kill us," said Padin.
"And you believed him?" asked CBS4's Summer Knowles.
"Yeah, of course he had a gun pointing to my mom."
Police say the two men got away with $100,000 worth of cash and jewelry, but Padin says that the only thing she could think about were here two daughters.
"I don't care if they take everything, I have insurance. I don't care, but what I was thinking what about my 2 little girls, my 2 little girls. That's it," Padin said with tears in her eyes.
The jewelry store's front door is secured so people can't just walk in unannounced, but the manager says she buzzed the men in because she thought they were customers, neither of them wore a mask.
"No, just sunglasses and a hat," said Padin.
Padin says investigators have collected the suspects' fingerprints that were left behind when they hopped over the counter. While waiting for the suspects to be caught, Padin and her mother are not only trying to regain their merchandise, but also their peace of mind.
"I don't know if they followed me, if they know where I live. All I want is they catch the two guys so they can suffer what I suffered," Padin said as she teared up again.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers (305) 471-TIPS (8477).
