Search Continues For Jewelry Store Robbers Caught On Camera
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FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) – The search is on for some bold robbery suspects captured on video running out of a jewelry store in the Galleria Mall.
Five men, wearing masks, smashed jewelry cases at the Mayor's Jewelry store inside the mall Sunday.
Sarah Young, an employee at the mall, said there was a lot of loud banging--likely the crash of glass, smashed by the robbers.
"All of a sudden a mob of people came running from this direction and more and more people just started to gather with it. People were yelling and screaming, 'he's got a gun, he's got a gun, get out the mall,'" Young said.
Shoppers were panicked, many said they heard what sounded like gunfire but investigators say was the sound of hammers hitting the glass cases.
"I hear a big boom, boom. I mean it was like scary," said Margie Ramirez.
Cell phone video shows two crooks racing through the mall and out. Then two more, one of the robbers was carrying a yellow bag. A police officer ran behind but was not able to catch up.
CLICK HERE to watch Ted Scouten's report
Shoppers ran for cover, diving into nearby stores to hide.
"I just took my bag and I started running to the nearest store, which was Michael Kors, and that's where I kept myself, I hid myself in one of the closets and I didn't come out for nothing," Ramirez said.
Young said, "I was running for my life out of the mall because I had no idea what was going on."
The five robbers led police on a chase through Ft. Lauderdale into Miami-Dade where two were caught.
Zavier McGee is under arrest. Malcolm Anwar Williams is in FBI custody.
Both made their first appearance in court Monday.
Sunday's incident is not the first recent smash-and-grab at a jewelry store.
A similar incident happened just over a week ago at Immanuel's Jewelry in the Lauderhill Mall; five masked men burst in smashing cases and got away with pricey jewelry. A clerk, during the incident, grabbed a stick and started hitting the crooks.
"I wasn't thinking, I just grab my stick and then hit them. That's the reason they didn't take a lot,"
Nouri's Hallmark store and Jewelry at Coral Ridge Mall was also a target. In that case, a clerk said that two people raced-in and started breaking the cases while one stood watch and another drove a get-a-way car.
