Video of Oak Lawn jewelry store robbery in which 3 men cut hole in wall to break in released

Thursday, May 25, 2023
OAK LAWN, Ill. (WLS) -- An Oak Lawn jewelry store owner robbed at gun point has released video showing the moment the thieves walked into his store Monday.

Police said the three entered an empty business next door to Ramallah Jewelry, and then cut a hole in the wall to get inside the store.
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Oak Lawn police said the three waited until the store's owner had just unlocked his business and was setting up shop, then they appeared out of the wall armed with a crowbar and possibly guns.

On the video, you can see the thieves enter the back office, one of them holding a gun, they threw the victim to the ground then started ransacking the store.

"They started demanding the keys to the safe and ordering him to get on the ground. At some point in that, one of the offenders struck him with a blunt object," said Oak Lawn Division Chief of Investigations Gerald Vetter.



As he lay cut and bleeding on the ground, police said the team of thieves ravaged what was already on display.
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"They then started going through the store, breaking display cases and taking necklaces, bracelets, jewelry, and loose jewelry and stones," Vetter said.

They demanded the keys to the safe, but police said the owner didn't have the keys with him.

The store owner was treated on the scene for his minor injuries, police said. His family said they are more concerned for his safety than what was stolen.

Police asked anyone with information to contact them at 708-613-8477. Police did not immediately provide further information about the robbery.
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