Police have released images of two women who shot at an 11-year-old girl during an attempted jewelry heist in Woodbridge last year.
Detectives with York Regional Police also released images of three male suspects wanted in connection with the violent robbery after having little luck in the last nine months of their investigation.
The robbery took place at a family-run jewelry store in a strip plaza on Steeles Avenue West, near Kipling Avenue on August 1, 2014.
“It was extremely violent in nature and unique,” Det.-Sgt. Mike Fleischaker said at a news conference Friday.
Police said a woman believed to be in her 20s entered the store alone and asked to see some white gold necklaces. She looked at several necklaces and then left.
However police said she returned about 30 minutes later around 8:20 p.m. along with another woman. The first woman asked who she had dealt with earlier and asked if she could see the same necklaces again.
When the owner took out the necklace to show the women, the first suspect pulled a handgun from her purse and demanded that he turn it over, police said. At the same time, the second suspect drew a stun gun and the two repeatedly demanded that the owner hand over the valuables.
When the owner refused, one of the women Tazered him, along with an employee, police said. The owner then turned and ran into a backroom, narrowly missing a bullet fired at him by the first woman.
At that point, the second woman jumped over the counter and grabbed the owner’s 11-year-old daughter, who happened to be in the store at the time. The first woman then turned the gun on the girl and pulled the trigger several times, but the weapon failed to fire, witnesses told police.
Three male suspects who had arrived with the women then tried to enter the store, but were trapped between two security doors.
Returning with another employee from the backroom after the gun misfired, the owner and his assistant struggled with the two women.
But the pair was eventually able to break lose, grab an item of jewelry and escape in the Black BMW with the three males. The vehicle was last spotted headed eastbound on Steeles Avenue West.
While the robbery happened nine months ago, police said Friday that they have had no luck apprehending the suspects so far and appealed to the public to come forward with any information.
“Clearly the female suspects here were extremely violent and were quite prepared to do whatever it took to accomplish their goal of obtaining some jewelry,” Fleischaker said. “We’re hoping to seek some information from members of the public who may know something about this robbery or who may be able to assist us in identifying the suspects.”
Several surveillance images of the suspects were released by police Friday.
The first suspect is described as a black woman with a medium complexion, medium build, standing approximately five-foot-three to five-foot-seven and believed to be between 22 and 27 years of age. She had black, braided hair with brown highlights. She was wearing a poncho with distinctive lightning bolt markings, a grey shirt, sunglasses, white socks and black shoes.
The second suspect is described as a black woman with shoulder-length brown frizzy hair of about 22 to 27 years of age. She had a lighter complexion than the first suspect and a taller, thinner build, police said. She was wearing a beige baseball hat, white running shoes, black yoga pants and a black T-shirt.
The three suspects who remained outside the store are described as black males. One of them was dressed all in black with sunglasses and white gloves and was carrying a duffel bag. Another was dressed all in black with a red baseball hat. Another was also carrying a duffel bag and was wearing a black hoodie, black pants and white gloves.
Fleischaker said there’s a good chance the suspects may have shared information about the crime with people they knew and he appealed to anyone with information to come forward by calling YRP investigators at 1-866-876-5423 ext. 6631, or by calling Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS.
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