Several hooded individuals robbed at gunpoint on Tuesday night the prestigious José Luis jewelry store in La Vaguada shopping center in Madrid. During the robbery, several shots were fired by the assailants. According to initial reports, the thieves took several display cases with jewelry, gold pieces, and diamonds. There were no injuries reported, although Samur-Civil Protection personnel had to assist a worker who suffered an anxiety attack. This is the fourth jewelry store robbery in the Community of Madrid in the last three weeks.
The robbers escaped in a blue BMW, pursued for several kilometers by National Police patrols. The officers lost track of the car in the Vallecas area. The Police have deployed a search operation to locate the perpetrators of the robbery.
The incident occurred around 9:00 p.m. Three individuals dressed in sportswear, shorts, hooded sweatshirts, caps, and their faces covered with bandanas or masks entered the shopping center. The images captured during the robbery show the suspects completely concealing their features to hinder their identification. One of them carried a black backpack on his back, and another brandished what appears to be a gun.
The assailants headed directly to the jewelry store and threatened employees with firearms. Due to their modus operandi, it is suspected that they knew where the most valuable pieces were located. In less than two minutes, they managed to seize several display cases with jewelry before leaving the establishment. They acted in a coordinated and swift manner. They then exited the premises and got into a blue BMW where a fourth individual was waiting for them at the wheel.
The incident caused panic among workers and customers of the shopping center. Some nearby stores, including Mango and Bershka, lowered their shutters and temporarily confined customers as a preventive measure until the situation could be brought under control.
According to collected testimonies and videos recorded by visitors, the atmosphere inside the premises was tense and uncertain as the police operation unfolded. Numerous customers sought refuge in the closest establishments upon hearing the shots and witnessing the assailants' escape.
In the last month, three other violent jewelry store robberies and related establishments have occurred in Madrid. Investigators are analyzing if the same specialized criminal group could be behind these heists.
On Friday, May 22, a man and a woman robbed a jewelry store on Toledo Street in the Central district of Madrid, from where they managed to flee with the loot after injuring a 35-year-old female employee.
On Monday, May 18, four hooded individuals robbed a jewelry store at Madrid Sur shopping center in Puente de Vallecas (Madrid). The assailants managed to escape after smashing the store's display cases with sledgehammers and seizing numerous jewels. They were also armed and had their faces covered.
Similarly, on Friday, May 15, a gold buying store in Torrejón de Ardoz (Madrid) was subjected to a similar robbery. On that occasion, five individuals tricked the employee into opening the door, thinking they were customers. The assailants took advantage of that moment to enter the establishment, break the display cases, and make off with loot valued at nearly half a million euros. They also used a firearm to intimidate the worker, and the robbery ended without injuries.