2 Arrests In Brazen Fifth Avenue Cartier Store Smash-And-Grab Heist; Police Seek 3 More Suspects
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Two Brooklyn men have been arrested following a brazen broad-daylight robbery at the Cartier store in midtown Manhattan.
Five men, some wearing masks, entered the store at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 52nd Street at about 12:30 p.m. Thursday, police said.
2 In Custody In Brazen Fifth Avenue Cartier Store Smash-And-Grab Heist
The suspects, who all had gloves on, used hammers to smash open a glass display case and made off with 16 watches worth more than $700,000, police said.
Roberto Grant, 33, and Allen Williams, 35, were allegedly stopped in the getaway car and arrested, 1010 WINS' Carol D'Auria reported. Both are facing robbery charges.
Sources said Grant and Williams were each wearing one of the stolen watches and the same clothing they had on in surveillance video from the store, D'Auria reported. Each watch was valued at about $42,000.
The other suspects are still on the lam.
Police Commissioner William Bratton said good police work and video surveillance helped crack the case.
"We have two suspects in custody, recovered some of the property, and our anticipation is that we will be able to solve a number of other New York City-related cases as a result of that," Bratton said.
Police believe the bandits were involved in other similar robberies.
The heist occurred as football fans were flocking to midtown Manhattan for festivities related to the Super Bowl in New Jersey on Sunday.
Bratton denies the suspects were able to pull off the heist because so much of the police resources are being focused on Super Bowl Boulevard a few blocks west of Cartier.
"We also have a lot of resources moving back and forth through that area," Bratton said. "I'm very comfortable that it had nothing to do with diminution of resources."
Police released surveillance photos Friday evening of the three suspects still at large.
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