Truck smashes through the North Hill mall
South- side glass doors shattered as culprits target jewelry store
City police are searching for suspects after a truck smashed through a set of glass doors at a northwest mall early Thursday as part of an attempt to rob a jewelry store.
Police say at about 4: 30 a. m., a white Ford truck was driven through doors on the south side of North Hill Centre in the 1600 block of 14th Avenue N. W.
Once inside, the Paris Jewellers was targeted, but it will take some time to determine what goods were stolen and their value, said Det. Travis Ibach.
Initial reports indicate two culprits were involved, Ibach added.
Betty Ann Gillespie, general manager of the jewelry store, said she was “pissed off” about the incident.
“They came in, they damaged my store, they made me come in on my day off bright and early in the morning,” Gillespie said. “The police have been phenomenal, the mall staff have been phenomenal, we’re working on getting back up and running.”
Police say the truck believed to be involved was found at about 8 a. m. abandoned in the 1300 block of 20th Street N. W. in the nearby Hounsfield Heights- Briar Hill community.
Shards of broken glass were visible in the back of the Ford F- 250 and on the windshield. The side mirrors were broken and there was visible damage to the front and back of the truck.
A tow truck later came to remove the vehicle, to be examined by investigators.
As cleanup efforts continued at the mall — the area blocked off with yellow tape, the opening covered with blue tarps, and the busted doors left in a heap — many employees trying to start their work day were stunned by the scene and frustrated they couldn’t get into the building.
Chris Dyer and Ken Goodrunning, who arrived to do construction and electrical work on a liquor store in the mall, said they were shocked by the damage and destruction.
“I’m upset I can’t get to work,” Dyer said. “We called security and they said police haven’t told them anything yet.”
He called the incident “pretty brazen, pretty well planned out, for them to get in and out without getting caught.”
“They must be experienced. They’d have to be,” Goodrunning added.
Phil Marleau, director of retail for mall management company Bentall Kennedy, said North Hill mall was able to open around 10 a. m. and carry on regular operations.
“Our first concern is the safety of our customers and tenants,” Marleau said.
“For safety, we made sure the site was secure until the full cleanup was done.”
Investigators expect they’ll be able to access security camera footage of the incident to help their investigation.