4 teens charged with jewellery store robbery in St. Thomas

Four teens from the GTA have been charged with a break-in robbery at Muscat Jewellers in St. Thomas.

Four teenagers are charged after allegedly robbing a jewellery store and fleeing the area, later crashing into a transport truck near Cambridge, St. Thomas police say.

According to a news release, at approximately 5:44 p.m. on Monday, St. Thomas police responded to a break-and-enter at Muscat Jewellers, located at 721 Talbot St. in St. Thomas.

Police say that minutes prior, four masked individuals attended the business in a grey, Honda CR-V. Three of the suspects forcibly smashed the front glass door of the jewellery store and once inside, the suspects smashed multiple display cabinets and stole several items before fleeing the scene.

The suspects were observed by witnesses leaving the store and entering a getaway vehicle, which fled northbound from the area at a high rate of speed.

Neighbouring police agencies were notified.

Police say that at approximately 7:19 p.m., OPP advised that the suspect vehicle had been involved in a crash involving a transport truck on Highway 401 east of Cambridge.

The four suspects fled on foot into a nearby field, where members of the OPP, including the Emergency Response Team, K9 unit and aerial support, conducted a search.

All four suspects were located and taken into custody.

The accused persons, all identified as teens from the Greater Toronto Area, were transported to St. Thomas Police Headquarters.

As a result of the investigation, a 15-year-old male, two 16-year-old males and a 17-year-old male have been charged with the following offences:

• Break and enter
• Disguise with intent
• Possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000

The driver of vehicle, identified as one of the 16-year-old suspects, has also been charged with dangerous operation.

The Honda CR-V reported stolen out of Toronto, was recovered and seized.

In a statement, Muscat Jewellers thanked bystanders who stopped to take photos and videos and offered their support. They add that all customer’s jewellery is safe.

“We will be closed temporarily while we deal with everything and get things back in order. Thank you for your understanding, patience, and continued support during this time,“ the jewellery store said. ”We look forward to reopening soon.”