Suspects in the theft from Dearborn jewelry store, possibly linked to robberies in two other states, the FBI says

(CBS DETROIT) – The FBI is looking for what they call an armed robbery crew that has reportedly attacked at least four jewelry stores in three states in the past year.

“They told us, ‘Don’t move. I’ll shoot you,'” said Ali Alasadi, store owner of Mariam Jewelry.

In August, Alasadi’s shop was robbed by two people wearing masks. The duo walked into the store with weapons and filled a duffel bag within seconds.

“They’re wearing Halloween-style masks and coming into the store with guns drawn,” said Christopher Hess, FBI assistant special agent in charge.

Alasadi and his family ran to grab their weapons and shot at the suspects. He tells CBS News Detroit that the thieves nearly fled with jewelry worth more than $250,000.

“He (one of the robbers) jumped down from here. When he jumped, gold was all over the ground,” he said.

The FBI believes the suspects are part of a broader network accused of similar crimes in Illinois and Missouri.

“We have to consider them armed and dangerous,” Hess said.

Police arrested one of the masked suspects in the Dearborn robbery. Authorities believe the crew could arrest businesses before they strike.

“There may be other individuals helping them from the outside or after the fact,” Hess said.

Since the incident, Alasadi’s jewelry store has spent thousands of euros on improving security.

“It’s very scary for the family; we don’t know if they know anything about us, like home addresses,” Alasadi said.

The FBI is offering a reward of up to $15,000 for information leading to an arrest.

Terell Bailey

Originally from Chesapeake, Virginia, Terell has had a passion for journalism since childhood. Growing up, he was known for making the “morning announcements” throughout his education. Appropriate that he became a TV journalist, right?