Two jewellery stores, one in Montreal and the other in Etobicoke, Ont. were both robbed by way of thieves smashing through the storefronts with vehicles, leaving several people injured.
Thieves crashed a vehicle that crashed through a GTA storefront during an attempted robbery leaving behind three people injured, one of which had to be hospitalized.
According to Toronto police, the suspect, or suspects fled the scene after crashing a vehicle through an Etobicoke jewellery store before robbing it Sunday evening around 5:30 p.m.
The store, Raj’s Jewellery, is located in the area of Islington Ave. and Albion Rd. and was robbed of a “quantity of merchandise,” noted police.
Two people suffered minor injuries, while another was taken to the hospital for treatment.
However, police are currently unable to provide further information, including potential suspects or what was taken from the store as the crime scene remains under investigation.
Meanwhile, Famous Jewellers in Montreal’s Parc-Extension neighbourhood was robbed only a day earlier, in the same garish fashion.
A car plowed through the neighbourhood storefront with thieves making off with hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of merchandise, according to police who arrived on the scene after being notified by the store’s security alarm.
Security footage shows a car backing through the storefront, followed by three masked individuals entering the shop as employees scream in fear.
Store owner Gaganjeet Singh attempted to fight off the thieves, resulting in him sustaining injuries to his upper body before later being hospitalized.
According to Singh, the robbers made off with between $600,000 and $700,000 worth of gold, marking the second robbery he’s dealt with this year.
It also marks the second store robbery in Montreal in the past week, with burglars breaking into a boutique in Montreal’s Mile End on Dec. 17th. In that incident, robbers took the boutique for around $8,000 in stolen merchandise.
Suspects remain at large in both robberies. This is a developing story.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police 416-808-2222, 416-808-2300 or Crime Stoppers Anonymously 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).