Chicago gang armed with assault rifles robs jewelry store in broad daylight as terrified female owner cowers in back room: Owner complains cops have done little to help amid alarming rise in crime
- A jewelry store in Chicago was robbed in the middle of the day by four armed thieves.
- The owner, Maria Coronel, did not specify the value of the stolen items.
- Chicago police have not identified any of the suspects but say the investigation is ongoing.
Four armed thieves were caught on camera robbing a Chicago jewelry store in the middle of the day.
Surveillance video shows armed suspects entering Joyeria Molina and stealing valuables last week.
The footage shows one of the thieves rushing to the front door as one customer walked out, letting the other robbers in.
They were seen breaking the store’s glass displays to gain access to merchandise.
One of the offenders can be heard yelling at owner Maria Coronel to “get on the damn floor.” Instead, she ran out the door.
Coronel did not specify the value of the stolen items. No injuries were reported.
![Surveillance video shows armed suspects entering Joyeria Molina and stealing valuables last week.](https://thewstnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Chicago-gang-armed-with-assault-rifles-robs-jewelry-store-in.jpg)
Surveillance video shows armed suspects entering Joyeria Molina and stealing valuables last week.
![They were seen breaking the store's glass displays to gain access to merchandise, and one of the offenders was heard shouting at owner Maria Coronel to](https://thewstnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/1702403494_62_Chicago-gang-armed-with-assault-rifles-robs-jewelry-store-in.jpg)
They were seen breaking the store’s glass displays to gain access to merchandise, and one of the offenders was heard shouting at owner Maria Coronel to “get on the f—ing floor.” Instead she ran out the door
Once they finished searching the store, the group fled in a white sedan, officials said.
The upset owner said Fox32: “I opened a year and a half ago. This makes me very scared to continue running my business. I plan to close the store for fear of something like this happening again.
“I only received a little help from the police and I would like to get more support from them. I hope the videos will help other businesses stay alert.”
She also said the store had several CCTV cameras and automatic locks on the front door, which she believed would be enough to deter thieves.
Chicago police have not identified any suspects in the robbery but say the investigation is ongoing.
![The upset owner told FOX 32, “I opened a year and a half ago. This makes me very scared to continue running my business. I plan to close the store for fear of something like this happening again.](https://thewstnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Chicago-gang-armed-with-assault-rifles-robs-jewelry-store-in.jpeg)
The upset owner told FOX 32, “I opened a year and a half ago. This makes me very scared to continue running my business. I plan to close the store for fear of something like this happening again.
![Chicago police have not identified any suspects in the robbery but say the investigation is ongoing.](https://thewstnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/1702403494_250_Chicago-gang-armed-with-assault-rifles-robs-jewelry-store-in.jpg)
Chicago police have not identified any suspects in the robbery but say the investigation is ongoing.
This comes two weeks after a gang with rifles robbed a pedestrian at a Chicago intersection.
The incident occurred on September 23, but the surveillance video was released later after the city’s emergency management and communications department refused to release it.
As the woman crossed the six-way intersection at 4:45 a.m., a silver sedan pulled up as one suspect pointed a gun at her and the others shook her.
They then sped off and robbed four more people as local police refused to follow the armed suspects.
The video of the woman being robbed begins with her crossing the path on North Avenue in downtown Wicker Park before a car pulls up.
The passenger doors swing open as one of the suspects, dressed in black with a mask over his face, points a rifle directly at her.
![Four masked suspects attacked a woman on a busy Chicago street and robbed her at gunpoint.](https://thewstnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/1702403494_636_Chicago-gang-armed-with-assault-rifles-robs-jewelry-store-in.jpeg)
Four masked suspects attacked a woman on a busy Chicago street and robbed her at gunpoint.
![This year alone, robberies have doubled and vehicle thefts have tripled since 2020.](https://thewstnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/1702403494_70_Chicago-gang-armed-with-assault-rifles-robs-jewelry-store-in.jpeg)
This year alone, robberies have doubled and vehicle thefts have tripled since 2020.
Three more assailants, wearing a light gray hoodie and black clothing, chase a woman who let go of her suitcase, which was on the corner.
Raising her hands in the air, she dropped her backpack as one of the robbers snatched it and two others rummaged through her pockets.
A white SUV is stopped at a red light at an intersection and a suspect with a gun points it directly at the vehicle and motions for it to move on.
The thief in the gray sweatshirt takes the last of the stolen items and the four of them get back into the car and speed away.
The woman remains on the corner with her suitcase and looks down the street before turning around and heading back the way she came.
Chicago police officers then reviewed video footage of the crime, which informed other patrol units of the descriptions of the masked robbers.
In accordance with CWB ChicagoThe getaway car’s left headlight was out and the rear right window was broken.
A total of 9,667 robberies were reported in 2023 compared to last year when 7,771 robberies were reported.