Taunton police looking for smash and grab robber of Galleria jewelry store - Taunton Daily Gazette
TAUNTON – He showed up bright and early to grab his share of free bling.
Police are looking for a smash and grab robber who they say stole jewelry early Friday morning from a display case inside the Kay Jewelers store in the Silver City Galleria.
The suspect, described as a man wearing a gray hoodie and black sweatpants, cut a link in the pull-down security gate before reaching in with a hammer-like object and smashing the display case, police said.
The Galleria’s security team, according to Detective Capt. David Warish, has provided police with surveillance video showing the man reaching in and smashing the display case.
Warish said the suspect got away with a yet to be determined amount of jewelry from the store, which is located on the mall’s second floor.
“We don’t have a list (of stolen goods) yet,” he said.
Warish said police received a call at around 6:30 a.m. from a witness inside the Galleria.
The Silver City Galleria mall for years, as a courtesy, has opened its doors at 6 a.m. to recreational walkers, many of whom are senior citizens.
Warish, whose career with the police department dates back more than three decades, said he can’t recall any such incident in the East Taunton shopping mall.
“This is a first,” he said.
A 63-year-old woman, who said she was walking with a friend in the mall at around 6:30 a.m., says she heard a woman scream “Robber!”
The walker, who asked that her name not be used for fear of retribution, said when she turned the corner she was within a few feet of the hooded robber, who was busy grabbing loot from the smashed case.
“I turned around and walked away — I’m not going to get shot or hit with a hammer,” she said.
The woman said she watched from a distance as the robber jogged away.
At one point, she said, he dropped the items he was carrying and then stopped to retrieve them.
The man, she said, walked toward the former Bertucci’s restaurant and continued outside to the parking lot, where he managed to get away moments before mall security and police arrived.
The woman, who took a photo of the damage, noted that the display case was literally within arm’s length of the security gate.
She also said she didn’t hear an alarm after the robber smashed it.
“I can’t believe how brazen people are, and I can’t believe they didn’t have their case alarmed,” she said.
Store manager Samantha, who withheld her last name due to company policy, when contacted Friday afternoon said the store was open for business, despite the damage.
“I’m just glad that none of the mall walkers were injured,” she said.
A call seeking comment from mall management was not immediately returned.
