Sherman Oaks Galleria Jewelry Store Robbed
Two men robbed a jewelry store in the Sherman Oaks Galleria on Monday night and fled with a “substantial amount” of jewels and cash, authorities said.
Two men in dark clothes, one hiding a semiautomatic handgun under his coat, entered Romeo’s Fine Jewelry on the mall’s first floor about 6:20 p.m. and directed two women clerks into the back of the store, said Los Angeles Police Det. Larry Minton.
“They were unable to do anything to prevent the robbery from occurring,” Minton said. “They were in fear of their lives.”
The robbers took just minutes to grab jewelry and cash before fleeing, he said. No customers were present and the mall was not evacuated.
The value of the stolen jewels was not known. Employees were taking inventory Monday night.
Employees told police they were in the process of closing the store and had put some of the jewelry away when the robbers appeared.
Police were taking fingerprints at the store Monday night and were expected to examine the security video cameras in the store and the mall for more clues, Minton said.
Employees of nearby stores said they heard nothing.
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