Police are searching for the thieves who stole thousands of dollars worth of jewelry from a store in West Hartford Center on Wednesday afternoon.
Witnesses said at least three men smashed glass cases and stole watches from the Lux Bond & Green shop at 46 LaSalle Road. Police were called to the scene around 12:30 p.m.
"It was a brazen robbery in the sense that it was the middle of the afternoon," explained West Hartford police Sgt. Joe Verrengia.
Police said the robbers sped off in a stolen gray minivan and struck at least three other cars while making their escape.
Barbara Karsky, who owns BK & Co. down the street, said bystanders worked to help catch the robbers but there was no stopping them.
"Everyone on the street was trying their best," she said. "A couple of cars pulled out to block [them] and they just smashed everything and went."
Authorities found the minivan abandoned on Ellsworth Road about a mile away.
"They smashed the minivan nearby and were last seen getting into two other vehicles," Verrengia said.
The intersection of LaSalle Road and Arapahoe Road was shut down in the wake of the robbery, and the area around the store was cordoned off with police tape. Officers directed traffic away from the scene Wednesday afternoon.
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"This was a well-planned robbery," Verrengia explained. "These suspects knew where they were going and what they were going to do."
Karsky called the incident "absolutely astounding."
"I know that that store is extremely well trained. The sales staff is well trained, the employees are vigilant about keeping their employees and their merchandise safe," she said. "As a business owner, it's so random. I don't know how you protect yourself from something like that."
Meanwhile, officials at nearby Conard High School issued a "secure the school" order similar to a lockdown around the same time as the incident. They issued an all-clear after about 10 minutes.
It's not the first time thieves struck at this store.
In June 2010, more than half a million dollars worth of watches were stolen from the store. Shamell Rijfkogel, of New York, was arrested and convicted of conspiracy to commit robbery.
He was sentenced to six years in prison, according to online court records.
"It's interesting this particular store has been hit once again," Verrengia said.
