Police release photo of suspects after Victoria jewlery store robbed

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VicPD have released this photo of the armed robbery suspects wanted in connection with the Paul Mara Jewellers Robbery on July 19. 

Police have released an image of the suspects who are wanted in connection with a jewlery store robbery in downtown Victoria Wednesday.

VicPD officers were called to Paul Mara Jewellers on Fort Street around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, after two men, their faces covered, entered the store then made away with an unknown amount of jewelry.

According to police, the two suspects showed weapons before taking merchandise.

The men are described as Caucasian, both wearing dark clothing and dark “construction style” safety vests with green stripes. Police said the men were wearing masks.

The men were seen fleeing the scene on a black “sport model” motorcycle. One of the men was wearing a white motorcycle helmet. According to police, Greater Victoria Victims Services personnel treated victims who received non-life-threatening injuries. They did not need to be treated at hospital.

Officers searched for the suspects and the motorcycle but have not made any arrests at this time. The suspects were last seen southbound on Quadra Street near Courtney Street.

An insurance adjustor was taking photos and looking through surveillance footage at Paul Mara Jewellers Thursday morning.

WATCH: Police are still on the hunt for two men who robbed a downtown Victoria jewelery store in broad daylight yesterday. Paul Mara Jewellers remained closed Thursday, as staff recover. As April Lawrence reports, this isn’t the first time they’ve had to deal with a brazen and violent heist.

“The staff, you know they’ve been through a traumatic experience, I don’t know how they will respond to the help they’re getting,” said owner Rob Simon.

Jackie Baulcomb noticed two people leave their motorcycle running and head down the street as she was leaving work.

“They were both wearing the same outfit so I thought that was kind of weird, and it was a hot day and they wearing big jackets and big helmets you couldn’t see through and stuff so I just thought it was kind of strange,” she said.

She made it to the top of the nearby parkade before she looked down and saw them get back on their bike, and drive away.

“Literally 10 minutes later I heard on the radio that the place had been robbed and I was like I knew it, I saw it,” she said.

This is the third robbery at Paul Mara’s ? in 2012 employees were blasted with pepper spray and three people from the Lower Mainland were taken into custody after a brazen morning robbery.

And 11 years before that, owner Paul Mara was attacked and injured in another violent robbery.

The current owner says he doesn’t know why they’ve been targeted, but it’s hard to move on.

“It’s always in the back of your mind, so just when you think you’re almost recovered on the last one, it happens again,” said Simon.

Simon says the store has security measures, including two surveillance cameras out front, but short of having armed guards, it’s just not enough.

“You’re not going to stop idiots like this from doing what they’re going to do, but what you can do is make sure they’re held accountable and that’s what we plan to do,” he said.

Anyone who recognizes the men in the photo, or their clothing, helmet and motorcycle, is asked to call VicPD at 250-995-7654 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

April LawrenceApril Lawrence

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