Jewelry Store Robberies Have Interest of Guelph and Waterloo PoliceJewelry Store Robberies Have Interest of Guelph and Waterloo PoliceJewelry Store Robberies

Two local police services, though saying little, arent ruling that out after robbers stole jewelry from a busy Peoples store in Kitcheners Fairview Park mall early December. Robbers also struck the Peoples store Friday evening at Guelphs Stone Road Mall.

Is there a connection or are they copycat crimes? I cant speak to that, Waterloo Regional Police public affairs co-ordinator Olaf Heinzel said Monday, suggesting, however, it only makes sense that his investigators would be in touch with Guelph Police Service counterparts.

Whats clear, Heinzel said, is the men who stuck the Guelph store werent the same ones suspected of pulling a string of recent robberies at other jewelry stores and a pay loan store in Kitchener-Waterloo. Thats because those men were in custody Friday and held over the weekend.

The display case glass smashed at the Guelph mall was replaced Saturday and the store reportedly reopened at 2 p.m. that day. On Monday, a male guard hovered outside the jewelry store.

Staff declined to comment, but shopper Paul McVicar was mulling over the robbery. To me, its very unusual. Why in a mall? It doesnt make sense.

McVicar said it points to a need for more security or heightened police patrols, but thats costly. Still, he noted there was extra security visible in the mall during the busy Christmas season.

Waterloo Regional Police havent connected the men arrested late last week to the December Peoples Jewellers robbery at the Kitchener mall.

But Heinzel said investigators continue to work on the case and may monitor developments in Guelph.

Were aware of the incident in Guelph. Its quite likely our investigators are working with Guelph police investigators to potentially share information or compare the details of their robbery to ours.

Obviously, he added, were still looking for suspects . . . . So that one in Guelph would be of interest to Waterloo Regional Police.

Guelph police spokesperson Const. Michael Gatto stated in an email: We will be speaking with other jurisdictions; however, we are not actively working with any other (police) service.

At 8:46 p.m. Friday, two men with their faces covered entered the Peoples Stone Road Mall store. One brandished a handgun and ordered employees to the floor. The second, with a hammer, smashed display cases and scooped up their contents. The two then fled out the Scottsdale exit. The men were of medium build and between five-feet, 10 inches and six feet tall. One was 20 to 25 years of age with a grey or black scarf covering whis face, the other 20 to 40 and wearing a dark bandana.

The Dec. 1 Peoples robbery in Kitcheners Fairview mall, which occurred a few minutes earlier in the evening, involved three robbers wielding guns. They escaped on foot with stolen goods in the direction of a nearby expressway.

Brazen robberies in store malls are a relatively new local phenomenon.

They are unusual in our area, Heinzel said.

Hes hoping people in the community pass on a tip that breaks these cases wide open.

Waterloo Regional investigators are at (519) 650-8500, ext. 4499, while Guelph counterparts can be reached through Sgt. Paul Crowe at 519-824-1212, ext. 344.

Record news services

GUELPH Can two separate mall jewelry store smash-and-grab robberies during operating hours in the region be connected?

Two local police services, though saying little, arent ruling that out after robbers stole jewelry from a busy Peoples store in Kitcheners Fairview Park mall early December. Robbers also struck the Peoples store Friday evening at Guelphs Stone Road Mall.

Is there a connection or are they copycat crimes? I cant speak to that, Waterloo Regional Police public affairs co-ordinator Olaf Heinzel said Monday, suggesting, however, it only makes sense that his investigators would be in touch with Guelph Police Service counterparts.

Whats clear, Heinzel said, is the men who stuck the Guelph store werent the same ones suspected of pulling a string of recent robberies at other jewelry stores and a pay loan store in Kitchener-Waterloo. Thats because those men were in custody Friday and held over the weekend.

The display case glass smashed at the Guelph mall was replaced Saturday and the store reportedly reopened at 2 p.m. that day. On Monday, a male guard hovered outside the jewelry store.

Staff declined to comment, but shopper Paul McVicar was mulling over the robbery. To me, its very unusual. Why in a mall? It doesnt make sense.

McVicar said it points to a need for more security or heightened police patrols, but thats costly. Still, he noted there was extra security visible in the mall during the busy Christmas season.

Waterloo Regional Police havent connected the men arrested late last week to the December Peoples Jewellers robbery at the Kitchener mall.

But Heinzel said investigators continue to work on the case and may monitor developments in Guelph.

Were aware of the incident in Guelph. Its quite likely our investigators are working with Guelph police investigators to potentially share information or compare the details of their robbery to ours.

Obviously, he added, were still looking for suspects . . . . So that one in Guelph would be of interest to Waterloo Regional Police.

Guelph police spokesperson Const. Michael Gatto stated in an email: We will be speaking with other jurisdictions; however, we are not actively working with any other (police) service.

At 8:46 p.m. Friday, two men with their faces covered entered the Peoples Stone Road Mall store. One brandished a handgun and ordered employees to the floor. The second, with a hammer, smashed display cases and scooped up their contents. The two then fled out the Scottsdale exit. The men were of medium build and between five-feet, 10 inches and six feet tall. One was 20 to 25 years of age with a grey or black scarf covering whis face, the other 20 to 40 and wearing a dark bandana.

The Dec. 1 Peoples robbery in Kitcheners Fairview mall, which occurred a few minutes earlier in the evening, involved three robbers wielding guns. They escaped on foot with stolen goods in the direction of a nearby expressway.

Brazen robberies in store malls are a relatively new local phenomenon.

They are unusual in our area, Heinzel said.

Hes hoping people in the community pass on a tip that breaks these cases wide open.

Waterloo Regional investigators are at (519) 650-8500, ext. 4499, while Guelph counterparts can be reached through Sgt. Paul Crowe at 519-824-1212, ext. 344.

Record news services

GUELPH Can two separate mall jewelry store smash-and-grab robberies during operating hours in the region be connected?

Two local police services, though saying little, arent ruling that out after robbers stole jewelry from a busy Peoples store in Kitcheners Fairview Park mall early December. Robbers also struck the Peoples store Friday evening at Guelphs Stone Road Mall.

Is there a connection or are they copycat crimes? I cant speak to that, Waterloo Regional Police public affairs co-ordinator Olaf Heinzel said Monday, suggesting, however, it only makes sense that his investigators would be in touch with Guelph Police Service counterparts.

Whats clear, Heinzel said, is the men who stuck the Guelph store werent the same ones suspected of pulling a string of recent robberies at other jewelry stores and a pay loan store in Kitchener-Waterloo. Thats because those men were in custody Friday and held over the weekend.

The display case glass smashed at the Guelph mall was replaced Saturday and the store reportedly reopened at 2 p.m. that day. On Monday, a male guard hovered outside the jewelry store.

Staff declined to comment, but shopper Paul McVicar was mulling over the robbery. To me, its very unusual. Why in a mall? It doesnt make sense.

McVicar said it points to a need for more security or heightened police patrols, but thats costly. Still, he noted there was extra security visible in the mall during the busy Christmas season.

Waterloo Regional Police havent connected the men arrested late last week to the December Peoples Jewellers robbery at the Kitchener mall.

But Heinzel said investigators continue to work on the case and may monitor developments in Guelph.

Were aware of the incident in Guelph. Its quite likely our investigators are working with Guelph police investigators to potentially share information or compare the details of their robbery to ours.

Obviously, he added, were still looking for suspects . . . . So that one in Guelph would be of interest to Waterloo Regional Police.

Guelph police spokesperson Const. Michael Gatto stated in an email: We will be speaking with other jurisdictions; however, we are not actively working with any other (police) service.

At 8:46 p.m. Friday, two men with their faces covered entered the Peoples Stone Road Mall store. One brandished a handgun and ordered employees to the floor. The second, with a hammer, smashed display cases and scooped up their contents. The two then fled out the Scottsdale exit. The men were of medium build and between five-feet, 10 inches and six feet tall. One was 20 to 25 years of age with a grey or black scarf covering whis face, the other 20 to 40 and wearing a dark bandana.

The Dec. 1 Peoples robbery in Kitcheners Fairview mall, which occurred a few minutes earlier in the evening, involved three robbers wielding guns. They escaped on foot with stolen goods in the direction of a nearby expressway.

Brazen robberies in store malls are a relatively new local phenomenon.

They are unusual in our area, Heinzel said.

Hes hoping people in the community pass on a tip that breaks these cases wide open.

Waterloo Regional investigators are at (519) 650-8500, ext. 4499, while Guelph counterparts can be reached through Sgt. Paul Crowe at 519-824-1212, ext. 344.

Record news services