Four or five men wearing masks and gloves bound and gagged with duct tape the store manager, employee and two others Thursday at a Meriden residence, police said.
The two employees were then taken at gunpoint in the manager's BMW and driven about 40 miles from Meriden to Fairfield, police said. Authorities say the robbery of the safe at Lenox Jewelry in Fairfield took five minutes.
Police say the victims reported they were restrained in the back of the store while the robbers left in their vehicle. They were able to free themselves and call police Thursday night.
Police say all the victims were unharmed and the identity of the suspects is unknown.
Fairfield police say the car taken in the home invasion was recovered Friday after officials received a tip.
The suspects were believed to be communicating with each other and coordinating their efforts during the robbery, police said. The two victims held in Meriden were released one minute after the two suspects left the Fairfield jewelry store, police said.
Fairfield police say they're working with Meriden police and consulting the FBI to determine if the robbery has any similarities to other robberies in the Northeast.
Fairfield police released a 911 call in which a man says they were followed to Meriden where hostages were being held.
---
