MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. — Surveillance video captured two men using hammers to smash the glass on a jewelry kiosk in the Treasure Coast Square mall near Jensen Beach on Friday afternoon, sprinting away with pricey merchandise.
Martin County Sheriff William Snyder said the crooks — dressed in all black and wearing face coverings — walked up to a kiosk outside a Dillard's department store and Ruby Tuesday restaurant, then smashed the glass case for several seconds.
Video showed them grabbing what they could, then running toward the exit of the mall, located at 3174 Northwest Federal Highway.
WATCH: Smash and grab robbery at Treasure Coast Square mall
WPTV's Cassandra Garcia spoke with shoppers who recalled the experience.
“We heard a big bang and she went to go see what was happening,” said Carly Moulton.
“People started running towards exits,” added Ashley Kowalski.
Moulton and Kowalski were inside a store when it happened.
“We had literally just walked past that jewelry store and we were one minute into Dillard’s, so if it happened one minute sooner, we would have been right there,” said Moulton.
The Martin County Sheriff’s Office said the suspects got away with thousands of dollars in jewelry. We’re told no one was hurt.
“We’re still in the middle of the investigation. We do have some physical evidence and we’ll be working very hard to see if we can get our hands on these suspects,” said Sheriff William Snyder.
The scene the thieves left behind caught a lot of people off guard.
“I saw the crime scene tape and I saw the broken glass on the floor and a bunch of the jewelry missing,” said Sofia Bustelo.
“A bunch of glass everywhere there was a little blood on the glass and just people still confused and looking and seeing what was going on,” said Kowalski.
The Martin County Sheriff’s Office says they’ve seen an uptick in grab-and-go thefts, but this one stands out.
“This is the first one we’ve had where we see that California-style, rush in, smash the glass, and rush out. I would have a message for these fellas: This is not California and we will be looking for you,” added Snyder.
If you know who they are, call the sheriff's office or Treasure Coast Crime Stoppers at 1-800-273-8477.
