Knowhere News– A Routine Day At Geneva Jewelry in Canyon Crest Town Center, Riverside, took a harrowing turn when two masked robbers stormed the store around 11 a.m. last Saturday. Clad in hoodies and wielding hammers, they brazenly smashed display cases, grabbing merchandise while customers and employees watched in shock.
Michaelangelo Torchia, an employee, recounted the terrifying ordeal to KTLA’s Sara Welch, describing how the suspects nonchalantly began their rampage. Torchia’s father, manning the counter at the time, quickly retrieved a firearm from a back room and fired several shots into the floor, causing the robbers to flee in panic.
Surveillance footage revealed the aftermath, with bullet holes riddling parts of the store. Witnesses noted that the suspects had scoped out the area before the robbery, indicating a premeditated crime. This incident isn’t the first brush with robbery for the Torchia family; Michaelangelo recalled a similar event in 1992 where his father was tied up by thieves.
Jewelry store owner chases off robbers with gunfire as violent smash-and-grab caught on camera at Riverside store https://t.co/tlZTTOBt0E
— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) February 19, 2024
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Despite the trauma, Torchia expressed gratitude that no one was harmed. However, concerns linger about the leniency of consequences for such crimes. Torchia voiced frustration, stating, “You get people who get caught and they walk right out the same day.” He emphasized the need for tougher penalties to deter future offenses.
Authorities confirm this marks the second smash-and-grab robbery in Riverside since New Year’s Eve, with the Riverside Police Department actively pursuing at least two suspects still at large. Geneva Jewelry plans to resume operations on Tuesday, determined to recover from the ordeal.