Three men robbed a Gilroy Premium Outlets jewelry store at
gunpoint Monday evening, taking an undisclosed amount of
jewelry.
Three men robbed a Gilroy Premium Outlets jewelry store at gunpoint Monday evening, taking an undisclosed amount of jewelry.
Police received reports at 8:55 p.m. that three unidentified Hispanic men had robbed Zales diamond outlet, 8155 Arroyo Circle, in northeast Gilroy, police said. Suspects threatened Zales employees with handguns before committing a “take over” style robbery. The men then fled in a light colored sedan. None of the employees were injured during the robbery.
A sign posted on the front door of the store Tuesday read, “Closed for Inventory,” and staffers referred all questions to the company’s Irving, Texas-based corporate office.
A company spokeswoman at Zales, who would not give her name, said the store is offering a $5,000 reward to anyone who can provide information leading to the arrest of the suspects. However, company representatives said they have a policy of not commenting on robberies.
“The local police have everything that we have,” the spokeswoman said.
Gilroy police said the investigation is ongoing, but did not immediately return phone calls Tuesday.
Workers at surrounding businesses said they were unaware of the robbery at the time it occurred.
“It’s crazy,” said Adeline Ramirez, assistant manager at Maidenform, a lingerie store next door to Zales. “It’s scary. The bad thing about it is that only girls work in this store.”
Ramirez said she was helping customers at the time of the robbery, and she had no idea that there was a problem next door. She said she typically can hear noise on the other side of the adjoining wall that the businesses share.
Sabrina Krebs, who works at nearby Gold Toe, also said she did not see anyone suspicious in the area. She said she only learned about the incident after police stopped by Monday evening.
Representatives at Gilroy Premium Outlets, which oversees the security staff, referred all phone calls to their corporate headquarters, which did not immediately return phone calls.
A couple of workers at the outlets said Tuesday that they were unaware of the robbery that had occurred the previous evening. Often, managers at the outlet mall notify stores after a crime has occurred there, they said.
“That’s pretty scary,” said Kathya Borges, assistant manager at Ultra Diamonds, after learning about Monday’s robbery.
She said her store had a couple of thefts in which criminals swiped items on display, but said she had not heard about other recent robberies.
Shoppers on Tuesday were unaware of the robbery, and most said that it did not cause them any concern in terms of security.
Cupertino resident Mary Spagnol said she feels safe shopping in Gilroy.
“There’s always isolated events,” she said.
Gilroyan Sabrina Oliviera said the incident sounded scary, but she generally feels safe shopping at the outlets. Unlike indoor malls, shoppers at the outlets are outside within view when they get into a car, creating a more secure environment, she said.
