Machetes, sledgehammers used in jewellery store armed robbery
UPDATE: TWO teenagers have been arrested and charged in relation to the terrifying armed robbery of a Canterbury jewellery store yesterday afternoon.
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UPDATE: TWO teenagers have been arrested and charged in relation to the terrifying armed robbery of a Canterbury jewellery store yesterday afternoon.
Detectives executed three search warrants across Melbourne last night and arrested five youths over the robbery at Holloway Diamonds.
A 17-year-old boy was charged with one count of armed robbery and was remanded to appear at a Children’s Court.
An 18-year-old Epping man was charged with six counts of armed robbery and other offences.
He was remanded to appear at the Melbourne Magistrates Court today.
The three other men, an 18-year-old Craigieburn man, and a 19-year-old and 20-year-old both from Reservoir, were interviewed and released pending further inquiries.
Staff and customers at the Canterbury Road jewellery store ran into a back room as three masked men stormed the jewellery store by smashing in the front door.
One man was allegedly armed with a tomahawk and another a sledgehammer during the robbery, which happened just after 1pm on Thursday.
Sen Constable Clive Chase of the Embona armed robbery squad said a “significant amount of jewellery” was taken from glass display cabinets.
He said witnesses saw the bandits flee in a waiting early model blue Commodore, which was parked by the getaway driver in a side street, and last seen headed in the direction of the city.
It had no number plates but a P plate was visible.
“At this stage a number of items have been stolen,” Sen Constable Chase said.
“It’s quite a brazen act at this time of the day ... with so many passers-by.”
He said there were no established links with other similar robberies in recent months.
Police are reviewing CCTV of the incident.
Jack Bull, who works at Shichida Australia, directly across from the jewellery store, said he heard a bang and saw three masked men smashing in the door.
Mr Bull said staff immediately ran to the store’s panic room.
“I heard a bang, looked out the window and three men were kicking the door in.”
He said if the bandits had bothered to try and gain entry via the right door, they would have simply walked in.
Mr Bull called police as he watched the robbery in progress.
He estimated the armed robbers were inside the premises for about two minutes.
Two offenders walked briskly out of the store while the third ambled out with the sledgehammer.
“They certainly looked like they knew what they were doing,” he said.
Police arrived at the scene within three minutes of the emergency call.
Apart from masks, the bandits also wore hoodies and gloves and identifying features could not be made out, Mr Bull said.
