A brazen thief carrying a rock and a replica gun walked into a jewelry store in Abbotsford Tuesday morning, smashed a display case, and escaped with a number of items.
The incident took place just after 11 a.m. at Michael Hill Jeweller in Sevenoaks Shopping Centre. The man was wearing a hoodie and pulled his shirt up to conceal his face just before entering the store.
After stealing an undetermined number of items, he ran through the mall and fled in an older-model black sedan.
Abbotsford Police Const. Ian MacDonald said a number of people called 911 after the incident, reporting they had heard glass being smashed and thought shots had been fired, but police ruled that out.
He said investigators found some discarded clothing and a replica handgun in the area.
Police were trying to track down the robber, as of press deadline Tuesday afternoon. They were reviewing surveillance video and interviewing up to 30 to 40 witnesses who either saw the thief in the jewelry store or running through the mall.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Abbotsford Police Department at 604-859-5225 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.