The chief of the Seattle Police Department was reportedly just yards away from a jewelry store when it was ransacked in broad daylight on Thursday, with the robbers getting away with an estimated $2 million in diamonds, gold and luxury watches.
That day, four masked robbers executed the robbery at Menashe & Sons Jewelers in West Seattle, threatening staffers with bear spray and a stun gun after smashing the locked glass front door with a hammer and stealing everything from six display cases in the store.
But as the jewelry heist was taking place, Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes was eating lunch just yards away, a police source told The Jason Rantz Show on Seattle Red 770 AM.
A spokesperson for the Seattle Police Department confirmed to The Jason Rantz Show that the chief was nearby, but couldn’t say specifically where he was at the time of the robbery.
“Chief Barnes and his security detail were at a nearby business when the robbery occurred,” the spokesperson said. “They were inside the business and were unaware of the crime unfolding.
“The suspects were in and out of the jewelry store in exactly 90 seconds,” the spokesperson added. “His security detail was in plain clothes at the time of the robbery.”
The department spokesperson also told the radio show the chief and his detail became aware of the robbery after police vehicles with lights and sirens responded to the scene.
Thieves smashed open a case with an emerald necklace worth $125,000 and a case containing around $750,000 worth of Rolex watches, police said.
“We’re pretty shook up as a staff,” Josh Menashe, vice president of the family-owned store, said on Friday. “We’re gonna be closed for a while.”
Matthew Strommen, the manager of nearby Industrious Gym told FOX 13 in Seattle the employees of the jewelry store escaped out the back and went to the gym for help.
He added that there was “a lot of shock and surprise” because of the robbery, leading to the gym locking the doors until police arrived.
The suspects escaped in a getaway car before police arrived at noon. No arrests have been made yet.
No one was hurt during the robbery.
Seattle police are asking anyone with information to call 206-233-5000.
