Authorities responded to a report of an armed robbery at Cabochon Fine Jewelry, located at 1426 Montana Avenue, on Friday, Nov. 30 around 1:20 p.m.
Upon arrival, Santa Monica Police officers found that several victims had been pepper-sprayed. The victims told officers two suspects had entered the store and sprayed everyone with pepper spray. Authorities said the suspects then used a hammer to smash a jewelry case before fleeing through the front door of the business with several pieces of jewelry.
The suspects were described as two black males, between the ages of 20 and 30, standing between 5 feet 10 inches and 6 feet, with thin builds. The men were last seen wearing dark colored hooded sweatshirts, light colored pants, tennis shoes, and some kind of mask covering their faces. Their getaway car was described as a late 90s model dark-colored Honda four-door.
During the investigation, authorities later learned that two men matching the robber's descriptions had previously entered another jewelry store located on Wilshire Boulevard. The subjects posed as customers and exited the store without making a purchase. Officials said their vehicle was also very similar to the one the robbery suspects fled in. The two unidentified men are now wanted for questioning, the police department said, after releasing surveillance video photos.
Anyone with information on the subjects or who knows of their whereabouts was urged to contact Detective HeeSeok Ahn at (310) 458-8452 or Sergeant Ira Rutan at (310) 458-8959.
