Jewelry store hit by afternoon robbery Crime Store owner's son chases down first thief, while second gets away ROSIE GILLINGHAM The Telegram

An employee of TimeCo Jewellers on Water Street in downtown St. John's speaks to a Royal Newfoundland Constabulary officer as police were investigating an earlier smash-and-grab theft. Two males entered the store, and used a sock holding a heavy object to smash the shown jewelry case. A number of items were taken, and the two males fled the store, with the store owner's son taking chase. - Photo by Joe Gibbons/The Telegram

Shattered glass littered the floor of Timeco jewelry store Thursday minutes after it was targeted in a brazen afternoon robbery.

"Scary stuff," owner John Dwyer told The Telegram as he stood looking over the destruction left in the tiny store on Water Street in downtown St. John's.

"It's pretty disturbing."

In the 33 years Dwyer has owned the business, he said, he's never experienced anything like what happened there Thursday.

At about 4 p.m., two men casually walked into the store, smashed both glass display counters and snatched handfuls of jewelry before making a bee line for the door.

The grey and black sock - containing a weighted object - which the thieves used to break the counters, still lay on the floor amidst the mess.

Dwyer wasn't there at the time of the robbery, but got a call shortly afterwards from his son, Frank Dwyer, who was behind the counter when the men came in.

After the thieves ran from the store, Dwyer chased them down Water Street, up McMurdo's Lane, onto George Street and up the steps on Prince Edward Plaza onto Duckworth Street.

Dwyer caught up to one of the men and tackled him to the ground in front of the Majestic Theatre.

The other man got away.

"It was right here," Nicholas Gaudet, a cook at the Majestic, told The Telegram moments after the incident.

Spatters of blood were still on the sidewalk and curb where it happened.

"I heard a commotion, like yelling and screaming," said Gaudet, 30, who was on break with co-workers at the time. "Next thing I know, this guy is being tackled and pinned down. I called the police right away."

Feet away, in the back of a Royal Newfoundland Constabulary car, the 23-year-old arrested at the scene sat handcuffed and leaning across the back seat to avoid The Telegram's camera.

He was taken to the St. John's lockup shortly afterwards.

Frank Dwyer was taken to hospital, suffering from cuts to his hands.

Back at the store, police officers spent a few more hours assessing the damage and collecting evidence.

John Dwyer said Frank was able to recover much of the stolen jewelry from the man he caught, but he hopes police can track down the other man.

The second suspect is described as being 5-foot-5 with short blond hair and patches of facial hair. He was wearing a red or orange puffy jacket.

Police are also looking for a gold-coloured car in relation to the crime.

Anyone with any information in relation to the robbery is asked to contact the RNC at 729-8000 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

rgillingham@thetelegram.com