Shoppers flee as armed robbers storm Massey jewellery store
Five armed robbers wearing masks and clad “head to toe” in black stormed a Michael Hill Jeweller store in a West Auckland mall yesterday afternoon and used hammers to smash glass cabinets before making off with the loot.
Police swarmed Westgate’s NorthWest Shopping Centre about 4pm and told people to evacuate the complex. Customers barricaded themselves inside stores while others ran from the mall in panic.
It follows a similar attack which occurred just 10 days ago when four armed thieves targeted the Michael Hill Jeweller store at Dress Smart Onehunga.
Detective Inspector Glenn Baldwin said the five offenders entered the shopping centre and smashed cabinets at a jewellery store, taking a number of items before fleeing in a vehicle.
It was located by police, abandoned, in Regents Park a short time later.
“The offenders left in a second vehicle which has not yet been located,” Baldwin said. Inquiries regarding locating the alleged offenders and stolen items are ongoing.
A witness told the Herald five mask-wearing thieves wielding hammers stormed into the Michael Hill Jeweller and began smashing cabinets.
“I just turned around and made sure my store was closed.”
The witness said a couple of other stores nearby slammed their shutter doors closed during the robbery.
Another witness said who was shopping at the mall said a grey Subaru SUV was used by the robbers.
“Five people entered just next to us, walking fast, and we immediately realised they were going to rob a store because they were dressed in black from head to toe.
“We went out with my husband and called the police. A few minutes later, the helicopter started flying around NorthWest and Costco.
“Everyone went out of the mall, the fog canyons went off and people were shaking outside in the carpark.”
A store owner nearby told the Herald everyone was asked to evacuate the building and await further instruction by police.
People could be seen running for the nearest exit.
Yesterday’s incident comes a week after a jewellery store at Westfield Newmarket was ram-raided by thieves for the second time in nine days.
Mall staff had erected screens around Partridge Jewellers Newmarket last Sunday night after a person entered the store and stole “a number of items”.
Several cabinets inside the store had been smashed and police cordoned off the entrance to the mall.
On April 12, employees at the same store had to flee into a locked back room after a group of thieves ram-raided the shop and began smashing cabinets and stealing expensive pieces.
Staff were closing the store about 8.55pm when a stolen Toyota Aqua reversed into the shop.
Everyone went out of the mall, the fog canyons went off and people were shaking outside in the carpark.
Witness