Armed robber orders female worker at jewelry store to open display case — even zaps her with stun gun — but she fights back

A female worker at a Southern California jewelry store gave an armed robber all he could handle last week amid a scary altercation caught on surveillance video.

Police in Montclair — which is in San Bernardino County and about 35 miles east of Los Angeles — said the suspect entered Fast-Fix Jewelry and Watch Repairs around 7:45 p.m. Thursday holding a small bag, which he he put down before walking back out of the door, KCBS-TV reported.

'I don't want to have that kind of feeling where every customer comes in wearing a hoodie and ... sunglasses, and I have to now tell them, ''Get your sunglasses off, get your hoodie off, get your cap off.'''

The suspect then "looked around outside the business" before going back inside the store and walking to the rear of a glass jewelry display case, where the female employee was standing, the station said.

KCBS said the suspect then allegedly pulled a handgun from his jacket and began demanding that the woman open the jewelry case.

"The suspect raised the gun toward the employee multiple times and used a flashlight in his other hand to push the employee," police said, according to the station.

The employee — who wished to be identified only as Alin — told KCBS she was scared but also enraged, so she fought back.

"He said, 'Don't scream ... just open the case,'" Alin recalled to the station, adding that she pushed him and told him to leave.

"The suspect shattered the glass case with the gun and attempted to grab items from the case, but was pushed out of the business by the employee," police said, according to KCBS.

Alin added to the station that the crook shocked her lower body with a stun gun amid the fight, and he was able to grab some store items before running off.

While Alin told KCBS that the encounter shook her up, she wasn't injured.

What's more, she told the station her work at the jewelry store is more than just a job: "It's my brother's store, you know."

The store owner added to KCBS that the robber stole gold pieces, watches, diamond rings, gold chains, and bracelets — adding up to a loss in the thousands of dollars.

"When you have a jewelry store, you feel like you are targeted in these kind of places, to be honest," the store owner, who wished to remain anonymous, noted to the station. "Especially with gold prices soaring so high ..."

The store owner added to KCBS that the incident marks the second time his place of business has been hit by theft, but he's hopeful that state laws can be changed to protect store employees and customers.

"I don't want to have that kind of feeling where every customer comes in wearing a hoodie and ... sunglasses, and I have to now tell them, 'Get your sunglasses off, get your hoodie off, get your cap off.' Is that the way that we should be working?" he told the station.

Judge blasted for drastically cutting sentence of creep who sodomized, kidnapped woman — even as he cursed out judge in court

A judge in Jefferson County, Kentucky, is receiving criticism after she drastically cut the sentence of a man who was was convicted of kidnapping, robbing, and sodomizing a woman.

Rather than following a jury’s recommendation of a 65-year sentence for 24-year-old Christopher Thompson, Judge Tracy Davis instead sentenced him to 30 years behind bars, WDRB-TV reported.

'I don’t have sympathy for nobody. I don’t have sympathy for you, the victim, the victim’s family, I don’t care. Boo hoo.'

Thompson was convicted in December in connection with a 2023 attack in which prosecutors said he abducted a woman, robbed her, and sodomized her twice, the station said.

WDRB, citing court documents, reported that Thompson kidnapped the victim in her own vehicle and forced her to perform oral sex on him in a school parking lot. The station said Thompson then drove her to an ATM, robbed her, drove back to the school lot, and sodomized her at gunpoint again.

What's more, the station said Thompson during his sentencing hearing earlier this month punctuated the proceedings with repeated disruptions, profanity, and direct insults directed toward Judge Davis.

“Before we even get appearances, Mr. Thompson, I’m going to need you to be respectful,” Davis said, according to WDRB.

“I ain’t doing nothing. Eat my d**k,” Thompson responded, according to the station.

WDRB said the intensity only became more extreme moments later.

“It’s fine. OK? It’s fine,” Davis said, according to the station.

“If I could spit on you, I would,” Thompson replied, according to WDRB.

“At the end of the day, I’m the one with the pen,” Davis added, the station said, after which Thompson replied, "I don’t care."

The hearing continued into the sentencing phase despite Thompson's outbursts, and WDRB said prosecutors urged Davis to impose the jury’s recommended 65-year sentence.

Thompson didn't exactly support his own cause, as the station said he stated, “I don’t have sympathy for nobody. I don’t have sympathy for you, the victim, the victim’s family, I don’t care. Boo hoo."

Davis soon imposed a 30-year sentence, WDRB said, citing Thompson’s age and the possibility of rehabilitation.

But Thompson apparently was unmoved. The station said he interrupted by saying, "I don’t care. I don’t care."

“Unfortunately, he fell through the cracks and ended up in this court as an 18- or 19-year-old,” Davis said, according to WDRB. “This court does not believe Mr. Thompson, if given the resources that he can get while incarcerated, is beyond being rehabilitated.”

The station said the reduced sentence has elicited criticism from Louisville Metro Council members, including Minority Caucus Chair Anthony Piagentini: “Where is the concern for the victim? Do we think she’s going to get over this in 30 years? Where is the concern for the safety of the public when he does get released from jail?”

WDRB said Piagentini also raised concerns about judicial transparency and pointed out Davis’ use of shock probation in dozens of cases since 2023: “My next step, in addition to condemning her decision, is to request for all of her shock probation cases to have the public learn about who she is releasing from the sentences that are given. That’s the minimum I can do for the electorate of this community, so that they can ... understand the decisions that she’s making.”

According to the U.S. Justice Department, "shock probation" provides a short prison time — between 30 to 180 days — for a convicted felon after which the remainder of the sentence is served on probation "in the community." The justice department notes that corrections and probation personnel view shock probation as having a future deterrent effect on criminal behavior, and lawyers view it as a level in plea bargaining.

Louisville’s Chief Prosecutor — Commonwealth’s Attorney Gerina D. Whethers — said in a statement that her office is "disappointed" by the reduced sentence, WDRB noted.

Commonwealth’s Attorney Gerina D. Whethers; image source: Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney, Jefferson County, Ky.

“Due to the defendant’s actions and inappropriate outbursts in court, the jury recommended a sentence of 65 years in prison. While we recognize that the court has discretion in the final sentence, we are disappointed that the court deviated from the sentence for less than half of what the jury of his peers determined was appropriate for this dangerous defendant," Whethers said, according to the station. "The jury’s recommendation was the most appropriate outcome in this case."

WDRB said Whethers added that "our pursuit of justice is unwavering. As prosecutors, our responsibility is to take to trial and present before the jury cases like these, where dangerous individuals pose a severe threat to the community and, as a result, need to be removed from it for as long as possible."

The station noted that Judge Davis imposed an additional sentence of more than four years for Thompson's statements in court and that he must serve that time before his 30-year sentence commences.

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12-year-old accused of striking woman in face with screwdriver amid robbery appears in court; lawyer calls him a 'good kid'

A 12-year-old boy accused of striking a woman in the face with a screwdriver and beating her amid a weekend robbery in Seattle went before a juvenile court judge Tuesday, KOMO-TV reported.

Despite the boy's attorney referring to him as a "good kid" who should be released to his parents — and his father making what a KOMO video report said was an emotional plea to the court — the judge didn't see it that way.

'He turned 12 about three months ago.'

The first-appearance judge determined there was probable cause to believe the boy committed first-degree robbery, which under state law involves the display of a deadly weapon or the infliction of bodily injury, the station said.

The judge ordered the boy held in secure juvenile detention, KOMO reported, adding that bail is not considered in juvenile court and a respondent is either released or held.

The defense argued that the boy's parents would watch him and monitor his behavior, while the state said the boy has chronic issues, the station report. The defense still asked for the boy's release to his parents and wasn't opposed to electronic home monitoring, KOMO added.

In the station's video report, the boy's attorney is heard arguing that her client is "quite young; he turned 12 about three months ago. He has no criminal adjudication history." The boy — whose face isn't shown in the video — is seen apparently wiping his eyes with tissue during the proceedings.

But Judge Tanya Thorp said he'll remain in detention, noting that his "multiple contacts" with police deemed "chronic is of great concern to me."

12-year-old boy strikes woman in face with screwdriver after beating her in robbery, police say

A 12-year-old boy struck a woman in her face with a screwdriver in a robbery over the weekend, Seattle police said.

Just before 7 p.m. Saturday, officers responded to a robbery near 23rd Avenue South and South Jackson Street and found an injured 43-year-old woman, police said.

'Are they going to release him again so he can kill someone next time? Just curious.'

Police determined that a juvenile suspect wearing a “hot pink ski mask” had just robbed the woman at the Amazon Fresh store, police said.

The suspect “attacked the victim, hitting her multiple times in the face with his hands," police said, after which he struck the woman in the face with a screwdriver.

The suspect rifled through the victim's handbag in a parking garage — and then returned to the victim and assaulted her again before running off, police said.

While police located the suspect, he fled from them on foot, police said.

However police recognized the suspect based on previous interactions — as well as his age and unique clothing description — and went to his family’s house and got a search warrant for his arrest, police said.

Officers took the suspect into custody without incident and recovered the screwdriver, police said.

The suspect was booked into juvenile detention at the Judge Patricia H. Clark Children & Family Justice Center.

Commenters under KCPQ's video report about the incident were livid:

"Some woke judge will let him go and say we need [to] utilize restorative justice," one commenter said. "It is a joke. Zero accountability in Seattle."
"Arrest the parents, too, or whoever the guardian is!" another user insisted.
"Are they going to release him again so he can kill someone next time?" another commenter wondered. "Just curious."
"Where did a 12yo even get the idea of armed robbery in his head?" another user asked.
"Charge that little demon as an adult," another commenter suggested.

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Armed crook breaks through window, orders elderly homeowner to turn over valuables — but victim fights back with his own gun

Police in Jacksonville, Florida, said they responded to a home around 12:41 p.m. Tuesday after a report that a person was shot, First Coast News said.

The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said a man believed to be in his 70s living in the home on Arlex Drive, off Merrill Road, reportedly told police that a male armed with a gun broke through a window in the back of the home, the outlet reported.

'Just glad to have another one, another one of these guys off the streets.'

The victim said he was ordered into a back bedroom and forced to hand over his car keys and other valuables, the outlet added, citing the sheriff's office.

But the elderly victim fought back.

The sheriff's office said the homeowner was able to grab a gun and managed to shoot the suspect once in the shoulder, the outlet reported.

The wounded suspect reportedly fled the home and drove off in the victim's car, First Coast News said.

However, the sheriff's office said police found the suspect inside the vehicle about 30 minutes later and took him into custody on Fort Caroline Road, near Jacksonville University — just a few miles from the scene of the home invasion, the outlet noted.

Brandon Meredith, who was driving along University Boulevard, told First Coast News he witnessed the suspect's capture.

"Everyone had their tasers drawn," Meredith told the outlet. "They're moving up in a special kind of formation on the back of the car, heard a pop, they grabbed him and pulled him out, put him on the ground, and EMS was tending to him, and they had the intersection shut down for about two hours while this whole thing unfolded."

The suspect, who has not yet been publicly identified, was taken to a hospital for the gunshot wound, the sheriff's office told First Coast News, and was in police custody.

Meredith added to the outlet that he's happy with the way things ended up: "Just glad to have another one, another one of these guys off the streets."

First Coast News said those with information about the incident that could help in the investigation can contact the sheriff's office at 904-630-0500. The outlet added that anonymous tips are also welcome through Crime Stoppers.

Commenters on WJAX's Facebook post about the incident expressed a variety of opinions about the outcome. The following are but a few of them:

"'In custody' means the homeowner needs some range time," one commenter asserted.
"Dang, people still dare to break in other houses in open carry state," another user opined.
"He's a hero," another commenter declared.
"The only problem I see is the homeowner needs some shooting lessons," another user wrote, adding "shoot for center mass, and this potentially eliminates the issue."
"In blue states and cities, this poor homeowner would have to face trial and have his life financially ruined (at best), or spend the rest of his life in prison," another commenter observed.

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Video: Masked smash-and-grab robbers don't look so scary when jewelry store owner pulls his gun and opens fire

Masked robbers clad in dark clothing quickly took over a California jewelry store last week, as surveillance video shows them fanning out and smashing display cases in a brazen heist.

This is, until the owner of the store came into the camera frame with his gun and opened fire.

'It's shocking to the conscience. It's scary to the family because it is a mom-and-pop store with family being your own employees, it's your own business and your livelihood.'

The imposing crew suddenly looked quite overmatched as they stumbled and sprinted out the store.

The incident at Olivia's Fine Jewelry in Madera took place around 7 p.m. Thursday, KFSN-TV reported. Madera is about a half hour northwest of Fresno.

Four of the crooks took part in the smash-and-grab while one stayed by the door as a lookout, KFSN said. Video shows the lookout holding the door open for the rest of the crew as they ran out of the store to get clear of the gunfire.

After the robbers ran into the parking lot, video shows the owner on the sidewalk in front of the store still shooting at the fleeing crooks.

"It's shocking to the conscience. It's scary to the family because it is a mom-and-pop store with family being your own employees, it's your own business and your livelihood," Madera Police Sgt. Blake Short told KFSN.

The robbers took with them an estimated $170,000 in jewelry, the station said, and authorities added that no one was hit by gunfire.

"I believe the store owner did what he felt was necessary at the time. We don't always recommend that in this field. Fortunately, no one was harmed in this situation," Short added to KFSN.

The station said authorities were able to recover the getaway car, described as a dark gray Audi, and that the suspects ditched it just outside of the Madera city limits.

Police also called the robbery sophisticated, KFSN said, adding that the suspects had a clear plan.

Short noted to the station that a "preliminary investigation shows that they were kind of in the area for a little while ... we would say in our field 'casing the business.' This was definitely meticulous. It was thought out. It did not appear to be a first time for these individuals."

Veronica Casillas, an employee of a nearby store, told KFSN that "it was very scary. We heard just a loud noise, and I told the manager 'I think those gunshots.'"

The investigation is ongoing, the station said, and no additional descriptions of the suspects have been released.

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VIDEO: Sisters' theft of lobsters, ribeyes, and truffle butter explodes into checkout chaos and racial-slur rampage, cops say

Two sisters attempted to steal luxury food items from a grocery store in Massachusetts last weekend — but the pair exploded when store employees confronted them about the stolen goods, according to police.

The West Bridgewater Police Department said in a statement that officers were deployed to the Market Basket grocery store around 5 p.m. Saturday over reports of two customers "fighting with store employees."

'They screamed and directed racial and demeaning words at [a store employee]. Those words included "p***y and [the N-word]," which were loud enough for everyone in the front of the store to hear, causing an offensive condition without a legitimate purpose.'

"The investigation revealed that an employee had observed two women concealing high-priced items, including lobster meat, prime ribeye steaks, and truffle butter, in a bag while shopping," the statement reads. "The women did not pay for those items at checkout and were confronted by an employee."

Police identified the shoplifting suspects as 37-year-old Olivia L. Byrd of Quincy and 28-year-old Rahjane J. Byrd of Hyde Park.

Police said the pair were "argumentative, screamed obscenities, and assaulted two store employees."

Alexander Oseas — a Market Basket employee — told investigators he grew suspicious of the sisters because most of the items in their cart were not bagged except for goods in a blue bag, the Boston Globe reported.

"He tried to take the blue bag from them, and Rahjane tried to get it back, causing her to fall to the floor," the paper noted, citing a police report.

In addition, Oseas and co-worker Wesley Kimbrel "pleaded with" the sisters to leave the store, but they allegedly "continued both their verbal and physical attacks" against the employees, the Globe reported..

"Rahjane struck Oseas with the blue bag filled with groceries," the paper added, citing the report, and "Olivia then struck Kimbrel with her purse several times and slapped him across the face."

The Globe, citing the report, also said Rahjane Byrd "struck Oseas several more times with the bag filled with groceries," and he suffered a small cut on his face.

The violent incident was caught on video, and it shows one of the sisters smashing a worker in the face with her cell phone.

Oseas said the sisters "became argumentative and belligerent and began to direct racial slurs and other demeaning terms at him," the paper noted.

"Both Rahjane's and Olivia's actions annoyed and inconvenienced the shopping public with their fighting and tumultuous behavior," the West Bridgewater police report read, according to Boston.com. "They screamed and directed racial and demeaning words at [a store employee]. Those words included 'p***y and [the N-word],' which were loud enough for everyone in the front of the store to hear, causing an offensive condition without a legitimate purpose."

The police report also said that "both females continued to scream obscenities and directed threats at both Oseas and Kimbrel as they made their way out of the store," according to the Globe.

The sisters exited the grocery store, but police confronted the pair in the parking lot.

The siblings informed officers that they were working for Instacart and that they were shopping for a customer, Boston.com noted.

Olivia said she confronted an employee who she felt suspected her of shoplifting, the Globe said, citing the police report. Boston.com indicated Olivia alleged a store employee watched them closely as they paid for the groceries and tried to take their shopping cart when they were confronted.

When the sisters were questioned about the expensive items in the blue bag, Olivia said the "bag was hers and that the items in it were an Instacart order canceled by one of her customers," the report stated, according to Boston.com.

The Globe said Olivia claimed the proof of the Instacart cancellation had disappeared from her phone.

Police noted in the report that the sisters' account of what happened in the grocery store was plagued by "inconsistencies," and the pair "were evasive, providing only the bare minimum to prove that the high-priced items in their shopping cart had been paid for," according to the paper.

Olivia said her sister fell as she was pushed by an employee trying to take their shopping cart away, the report said.

"Olivia reacted and admitted to pushing and hitting the employee on the face with her phone,” the report stated, according to the Globe. "Olivia told me she should not have struck the employee but felt she needed to defend her sister."

Police said the sisters were arrested and charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, assault and battery, shoplifting by asportation, and disorderly conduct.

A judge ordered the sisters not to enter Market Basket and to have no contact with employees of the grocery store.

The suspects were arraigned Monday in Brockton District Court.

The sisters pleaded not guilty to the charges and were released on personal recognizance.

The Byrd sisters are scheduled to return to court on Dec. 17, according to records.

The West Bridgewater Police Department and Market Basket did not immediately respond to Blaze News' request for comment.

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13 thugs chase, stab, beat, rob teen boy on his way home from school in NYC. They make off with his sneakers — worth $350.

A 15-year-old New York City boy spoke out from his hospital bed this week after police said a group of 13 suspects — also teenagers — attacked and stabbed and robbed him on Oct. 22.

Police said the boy was on his way home from school in Jamaica, Queens, when the broad-daylight attack occurred at the intersection of 160th Street and Hillside Avenue, WCBS-TV reported.

'What happened to my son is horrific.'

With his mother by his side, the victim recounted to the station the words of one of his attackers.

"Give me all your clothes, whatever you're wearing, your shoes," the boy recalled one of the mob members telling him, WCBS noted.

He then told the station, "I [started] running. After that, they pushed me and stabbed me."

The vicious attack left the 15-year-old with severe stab wounds, broken bones, bruises — and needing surgery, the station said.

After all that, WCBS said the suspects stole the victim's sneakers — worth $350.

"I was shocked to see my son in this condition," the boy's mother told the station in her native language of Punjabi. "What happened to my son is horrific."

Local activist Japneet Singh told WCBS the attack took place on "a major avenue, major corridor" and that "if that can happen to this boy, it can happen to any of our children. We have to make sure we protect our kids."

While the boy has months of recovery ahead of him — including three surgeries — his mother told the station she hopes those responsible are caught. Meanwhile, she added to WCBS that she's not leaving his side: "Ever since he was attacked, I've been here with him day and night."

Police told WNYW-TV that detectives are reviewing surveillance video from the area to identify those involved.

Those with information about the attack are urged to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at 800-577-TIPS (8477), WNYW said, adding that tips can be submitted confidentially online or by text.

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Armed robber orders female worker at jewelry store to open display case — even zaps her with stun gun — but she fights back

Judge blasted for drastically cutting sentence of creep who sodomized, kidnapped woman — even as he cursed out judge in court

12-year-old accused of striking woman in face with screwdriver amid robbery appears in court; lawyer calls him a 'good kid'

12-year-old boy strikes woman in face with screwdriver after beating her in robbery, police say

Armed crook breaks through window, orders elderly homeowner to turn over valuables — but victim fights back with his own gun

Video: Masked smash-and-grab robbers don't look so scary when jewelry store owner pulls his gun and opens fire

VIDEO: Sisters' theft of lobsters, ribeyes, and truffle butter explodes into checkout chaos and racial-slur rampage, cops say

13 thugs chase, stab, beat, rob teen boy on his way home from school in NYC. They make off with his sneakers — worth $350.

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