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Out & About: Mining Sapphires in Rock Creek, MontanaAssociate Editor Lauren McLemore headed out West for a visit to Potentate Mining’s operation hosted by gemstone wholesaler Parlé Gems.
CrimeJan 14, 2019
2 Arrested in Smash-and-Grab at Detroit-Area Costco
It is unknown at this time if the two men are connected to other jewelry thefts.
These photos from inside the Commerce Township, Michigan, Costco provided by the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office show the two men charged in the Jan. 7 smash-and-grab jewelry theft there, Raphael Simmons (left) and Jajuan Profit.
Detroit—Two teenagers have been charged in a recent smash-and-grab at the jewelry counter of a Detroit-area Costco, and police are working to determine if the pair are tied to other jewelry thefts.
According to the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office, on Friday, 18-year-old Jajuan Profit and 17-year-old Raphael Simmons were arraigned and charged with one count of armed robbery and one count of resisting and obstructing. Profit also faces a charge of flee and elude.
His bond was set at $500,000, while bond for Simmons was set at $350,000.
The smash-and-grab occurred a little after 7 p.m. on Jan. 7 at the Costco store in Commerce Township, Michigan.
Costco security camera stills show one of the teens holding a sledgehammer and the other an ax as they make their way through the Costco store, where they allegedly smashed a jewelry display case, grabbed a few pieces and then fled.
According to the Detroit Free Press, the suspects’ vehicle, a Nissan Sentra, was later spotted by police but the driver took off after officers attempted to pull the car over, leading police on a wild chase through suburban backyards.
The car eventually hit a tree and both men attempted to flee on foot but were captured by police.
RELATED CONTENT: Smash-and-Grab Robbers Targeting Michigan JewelersJewelers’ Security Alliance President John J. Kennedy said it is unknown at this point if the two men arrested and charged in the Costco jewelry theft are part of a loosely affiliated smash-and-grab gang targeting Midwest jewelry stores or if they were acting as individuals.
He also noted that it is a “little unusual” for suspects to target the jewelry section of a Costco, as the smash-and-grab gangs they have seen lately tend to go for specialty jewelers over big-box or department stores.
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