Axe-wielding thieves smash up Waverley Gardens jewellery store

SCREAMS can be heard as robbers smashed up a jewellery store in Melbourne today, the horror heist recorded on camera. A store worker has told of being confronted by burglars with an axe and hammers.

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A JEWELLERY store worker bravely confronted four armed attackers during a terrifying smash-and-grab at a busy shopping centre in Melbourne’s southeast today.

Filor Firtina, owner of JK Collections at Waverley Gardens Shopping Centre, said she screamed and pushed a metal bollard at the masked attackers moments after they approached her store with hammers and an axe.

“One of them was using an axe to keep people away,” she said.

“Then he turned around and started coming at me with the axe.

“He then smashed the window and looked at me as if to say ‘that’s enough’.”

A detective leaves the jewellery store. The smashed window can be clearly seen. Picture: Lawrence Pinder

The smash-and-grab sounded like gunshots, witnesses said. Picture: Lawrence Pinder

Store owner Filor Firtina (left) is embraced by family outside the store. Picture: Lawrence Pinder

Vision of the thieves smashing into the jewellery store. Vision courtesy 7 News

Ms Firtina believes the youths cased the store, and waited until her husband Jo left before striking about 11.45am.

“I was only alone in the store for 10 minutes or so,” she said.

The armed offenders stole jewellery and fled in a car.

The jewellery store is next to an entrance.

Nearby workers said the bangs of the thieves smashing the store’s glass windows sounded like gunshots.

Retail worker Quynh Dang said she barricaded herself inside her store for 15 minutes.

The raid was captured on camera by an eyewitness.

Workers at JK Collections were seen cleaning up the mess this afternoon.

The shopping centre was put into immediate lockdown after the burglary but has since reopened to shoppers.

“It is believed four males entered the store armed with weapons including hammers and an axe and smashed the glass in the store,” a Victoria Police spokesman said.

“The males left in a vehicle.

“No one was injured and the investigation is ongoing.”

Waverley Gardens Shopping Centre, 25km southeast of Melbourne’s CBD, has about 110 stores.

It is the latest jewellery heist in Melbourne.

In March a gang raided a South Yarra jewellery store in broad daylight.

An Elsternwick store was attacked in April and a Canterbury jewellery store in March.

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