Brazen thief smashes window, grabs gems

BRIGHTON BEACH, N.Y. (WABC) -- A display window at Expert Jewelry in Brighton Beach is filled with gems and gold, looks like an easy target.

At least that's what one thief thought.

Alex Shamayev was in his office at the store around 11 a.m. when a man came in and smashed the window with a hammer. The protective glass made it hard to break, as store surveillance video shows.

"I dont know, maybe he's got a gun," said Shamayev, the store manager, who was startled by the break-in.

"Then I hear some very heavy noise - boom, boom, boom," he said.

A dozen blows with the hammer resulted in a hole big enough to allow the thief to grab some pieces from the display. Shamayev began to throw things at the thief to scare him away, and the burglar fled.

Shamayev followed him to his car which was double parked outside.

"I break his driver window and started to fight with him ..." he said.

The thief was able to escape with a few pieces, although he dropped some on the ground as Shamayev fought with him.

Police are continuing to look for the thief, and Shamayev has replaced the glass with an even stronger material.