Police on Jewelry Heist: 'They Had the Tools and the Speed'

The two suspects who smashed the front window of on Broad Street and robbed the store early Sunday morning were efficient and organized, Red Bank police Chief Darren McConnell said later that evening. 

Police responded to a burglary alarm at the downtown jewelry store at around 5 a.m. Sunday. When officers arrived at the scene they found the windows of the front doors and several glass cases inside smashed. What they didn't find, however, was any trace of the suspects who pulled off the early morning heist right in the heart of Red Bank.

According to McConnell, surveillance footage of the break-in shows two suspects using crowbars to smash the front window and display cases. Almost exactly two minutes after entering the store the suspects fled, saving themselves enough time for a getaway before police arrived on the scene. It appears clear, McConnell said, that the suspects had a plan.

"They were wearing masks. One was wearing a ski mask, the other a mask and a hoody. Both had gloves, long sleeves and pants. We can't identify race — not even sex. We're just assuming male because of their movements," he said. "They were in and out quick. It seemed they were experienced — it wasn't unplanned. They had the tools and the speed."

Though the only description police have of the two suspects is likely male and, as McConnell described the suspects, stocky, surveillance footage does show the front end of a vehicle police believe may be the getaway car. The department is hoping enhanced surveillance footage will help police identify the vehicle speeding past the front window.

"There's a flash of a vehicle passing by out front, but we're not sure how much of a description we can get from it," McConnell said. "It's just a part of the front of the vehicle."

The value of the jewelry made off with is currently unknown, though McConnell said he expects the figure to be substantial considering the number of cases smashed and cleared. It's likely, however, that A.H. Fisher's most expensive items were in the store's safe at the rear of the store at the time of the robbery. The suspects did not attempt to break into the safe.

McConnell said this is the first jewelry store smash and grab he can recall taking place in Red Bank in the past decade. He said police still aren't clear why A.H. Fisher was targeted considering the its high security and location on Broad Street among several other jewelry stores.

Red Bank Police will work with other departments to see if the break-in is part of a larger crime spree, though McConnell said he's doubtful they'll find much of a trace considering the thieves' techniques. 

Detective Juan Sardo is handling the case. If you have any information, .