Masked Raiders Steal 50 Rolex Watches

(IDEX Online) - Masked thieves pepper-sprayed an employee and fled with at least 50 pre-owned Rolex watches in a raid on a jewelry store in Austin, Texas, USA.

Eight suspects used hammers to smash display cases at Marc Robinson Jewelers in the Round Rock Premium Outlets on 21 April.

They fled after an employee emerged from a back room with a handgun.

Store owner Sherazad "Sunny" Lokhandwala told the KVUE news channel: "I'm sure they had scouted before. They already knew exactly which cases to go hit. They took in a lot of merchandise.

"We are the only store in Austin Texas that carries up to about 110 pre-owned Rolexes in stock. I would say about 50 or 60 of them were gone."

Round Rock Police Department say they stole " a large amount" of jewelry but didn't say how much.

"Suspects pepper‑sprayed a store employee and a bystander during the robbery before fleeing," they said in a statement.

Officers later located a getaway car - a stolen blue Hyundai Sonata - but have not so far made any arrests.