TROY, Mich. – Three people are in custody in connection with the theft of more than $30,000 in Cartier watches from a Saks Fifth Avenue in Troy.
Police said the suspects tried to distract police during the robbery Wednesday at the store inside the Somerset Collection mall by calling 911 to report shots being fired at Oakland mall.
After police received the call, 911 operators reported another call from a Saks Fifth Avenue store at the same mall. Police quickly realized the first call about shots fire was a poly to distract officers from the robbery on the other side of the mall.
One of the suspects used a sledgehammer to break open a display case, and hit a security guard on the arm when he tried to intervene. A second suspect took three watches worth $26,000, $7,000 and $5,000, police said.
One suspect was taken into custody by Somerset and Saks security officers after a brief foot chase.
The suspects left the mall in two different cars, but police found them in a nearby neighborhood and a short chase ensued.
Police arrested the two suspects.
After the arrests, police recovered two of the stolen watches.