Shots Fired in Brazen Midtown Tourneau Robbery

Shots were fired Tuesday during a brazen smash-and-grab at the Tourneau flagship in midtown Manhattan.

On May 12, three men, clad in suits and fedoras, entered the Tourneau jewelry store located at 510 Madison Avenue at 53rd Street. Two of the suspects had hammers and one carried a firearm. The suspects broke the display cases with the hammers and removed Rolex watches, which they stuffed into duffel bags.

Unusually, the armed man fired several shots into the ground and in the store. No one was hit or appeared to be hurt.

“This is a very important story in that it is the first instance in a long time of smash-and-grab robbers going after high-end watches who have fired guns in the commission of their crimes,” says John Kennedy, president of the Jewelers’ Security Alliance (JSA). “A very dangerous situation.”

One suspect was eventually nabbed. A retired cop who works at the store chased and eventually got him, along with a bag of watches, according to the New York Post. The other two remain at large.

Suspect one is described as a black male, large build, dark suit, black fedora, black shoes, blue shirt, and black duffel bag with the word sports on it.

Courtesy: New York City Police Department

Suspect one

Suspect two is described as black male, medium build, dark suit, coat, tie, black fedora, black shoes.

Courtesy: New York City Police Department

Suspect two

Several dozen Rolex watches were stolen, of undetermined value. Some have already been recovered.  

While overall industry crime is down, smash-and-grabs have gone up, according to the JSA. Their numbers soared by 77 percent last year, as more organized crews are committing them. 

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JCK News Director

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