Shattered glass and a detached front door were littered along Park Avenue by East 56 Street, as police responded to a smash and grab burglary at the luxury watch and jewelry store Cellini in Midtown.
The NYPD said around 3:35 a.m. Saturday, thieves made off with about $300,000 in goods from the high end retailer known for luxury jewelry and rare watches.
What You Need To Know
- Police said just before 3:35 a.m. Saturday, an unknown number of suspects broke into Cellini on Park Avenue in Midtown in a smash and grab burglary
- Approximately $300,000 in goods were reported stolen
- This burglary follows two incidents this past August that targeted jewelry stores in the Bronx
It’s a crime that has some residents who live close to the store fearing their surroundings.
“I have never seen anything like this,” said David Tukel of Midtown. “I used to walk all hours day and night and never felt unsafe. Now I often feel unsafe walking around on the street.”
It’s not clear how many suspects were involved, or how long they were inside.
Police didn’t say which items were taken, but they said the individuals responsible fled the crime scene on East 56 Street in a gray or silver sedan.
According to the latest crime statistics from the NYPD, which go through Oct. 9, the burglary at Cellini comes when burglaries are up 31% over last year to over 9,200 incidents citywide.
Meanwhile, grand larcenies are up over 41.5% to over 28,000 incidents across the five boroughs.
Saturday’s burglary at Cellini comes in the wake of two robberies that took place in the Bronx back in August.
Police said no one was injured when about $2.15 million in goods was stolen from Rocco’s Jewelry on Webster Avenue.
However, several workers at Revel Jewelers on East Fordham Road had to seek treatment at a hospital when masked individuals robbed the store and sprayed an unknown substance into the air.
Anyone with information about these cases is urged to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.