Suspect identified in Glendale mall robbery where guard fired gun; 3 more suspects outstanding
Authorities have identified one of the men suspected of trying to rob a jewelry store at the Glendale Galleria on Saturday.
Kamal Key was detained by a mall security guard after two men entered Bhindi Jewelry around 2:45 p.m. and attempted to use mallets to smash open the store’s display cases, according to Sgt. Dan Suttles, a spokesman for the Glendale Police Department.
He said the guard fired two rounds from his pistol to deter the robbers.
“He was near the door and fired inward [toward the robbers],” he said.
One of the robbers fled from the store, while 20-year-old Key, a Los Angeles resident, was detained, according to Suttles.
No injuries were reported, and the mall was briefly evacuated following the incident. Suttles said nothing was reported stolen from the store.
An employee at one of the mall’s kiosks who declined to give his full name said he was on the other side of the mall when he started seeing people running toward the exits after the security guard fired his gun.
“All of a sudden I started seeing people running away, so I just started to run with them,” he said. “Everyone was pretty scared; I could see it on their faces.”
Shoppers took to social media to express their shock and fear over the incident.
One Twitter user named Armina LaManna described it as “mass panic,” while another named Armen Karaoghlanian said it was the “scariest thing I’ve ever experienced.
“It was the most terrifying feeling ever,” he said in a follow-up tweet.
The mall was eventually reopened around 3:30 p.m.
In addition to the suspect in the store who ran away, Suttles said two other people are wanted in connection with the attempted robbery — a lookout inside the mall and a getaway driver. All four of the suspects wore dark-colored, hooded jackets during the incident.
The getaway vehicle is said to be a black Dodge Charger, according to Suttles.
Anyone with information about the incident can contact Glendale police at (818) 548-4911. Anonymous tips can be given at (800) 222-8477.
Twitter: @Andy_Truc
