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CrimeJan 24, 2017
Two Killed in Separate Weekend Robberies
Police in two cities are investigating jewelry store-related shootings that left an employee and a bystander who tried to intervene dead.
This security camera still provided by the Henderson Police Department shows the suspect wanted in Saturday night’s robbery, which resulted in the shooting death of a store employee, entering the Jared the Galleria of Jewelry store around 9 p.m.
New York--Police in two separate cities are investigating jewelry store-related shootings that left an employee and a bystander who tried to intervene dead.
The first incident happened just before closing time on Saturday at a Jared the Galleria of Jewelry store in Henderson, Nevada.
The suspect entered the store, pulled out a gun and pointed it at one of the employees.
The on-site security guard, who has not been publicly identified, fired a round at the suspect but missed, accidentally hitting and killing the 57-year-old employee instead, said Officer Scott Williams, a public information officer with the Henderson Police Department.
Jared’s parent company, Signet Jewelers Ltd., identified the employee as Kim Hill and issued the following statement on Monday: “We extend our deepest sympathies to her family, friends and colleagues. Nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and team members and their ability to shop and work in a safe environment.”
"We are taking all necessary steps in cooperating with the local police department and working with our security provider ... We will continue to cooperate with law enforcement in connection with their ongoing efforts to apprehend the suspect.”
Williams said the suspect fled the scene and police were still working to determine what, if anything, he stole from the store.
The suspect, who wore a mask during the robbery, is described as a black male, between 5 feet 6 inches and 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighing 140 pounds. He was wearing a red and black hoodie, black pants and a dark-colored hat or beanie.
Williams said he will face murder charges if apprehended. The security guard is not being charged at this point, though Williams noted that the investigation into the incident is ongoing.
The second incident happened at a store that’s also under the Signet umbrella, this one the Kay Jewelers located in the Rolling Oaks Mall just outside San Antonio, Texas.
In an interview broadcast via Facebook Live on Sunday following the incident, San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said two individuals robbed the Kay Jewelers store and fled, running to the left to exit the mall.
Two citizens tried to intervene to stop the suspects and there was an exchange of gunfire.
One of the citizens--identified in news reports as 42-year-old Jon Murphy, who reportedly was at the mall with his wife getting their wedding rings cleaned--was shot and killed.
The other citizen, who has a concealed carry permit,
shot and wounded the suspect who killed Murphy. That suspect--identified Tuesday morning by police as 34-year-old Jose Luis Rojas--remains in the hospital in critical condition, San Antonio Police Senior Public Information Officer Sandra Pickell said. The name of the citizen who fired the shot has not been released.
The second suspect, identified as 34-year-old Jason Matthew Prieto, managed to flee, firing shots as he ran through the mall, hitting and wounding two other people, according to police.
He was arrested in nearby Converse, Texas, and charged with capital murder and two counts of aggravated robbery. The second suspect will be booked by proxy.
“What we have here,” McManus said at his press conference, “is a robbery gone really, really bad.”
In a separate statement, Signet said it is “shocked and saddened” by what happened at the mall and extends its deepest sympathies to everyone affected. The company said it is cooperating with local law enforcement in the investigation.
Editor’s note: This story was updated post-publication to include additional information obtained from the San Antonio Police Department.
The second suspect, identified as 34-year-old Jason Matthew Prieto, managed to flee, firing shots as he ran through the mall, hitting and wounding two other people, according to police.
He was arrested in nearby Converse, Texas, and charged with capital murder and two counts of aggravated robbery. The second suspect will be booked by proxy.
“What we have here,” McManus said at his press conference, “is a robbery gone really, really bad.”
In a separate statement, Signet said it is “shocked and saddened” by what happened at the mall and extends its deepest sympathies to everyone affected. The company said it is cooperating with local law enforcement in the investigation.
Editor’s note: This story was updated post-publication to include additional information obtained from the San Antonio Police Department.
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