EXCLUSIVE: Jewelry store robbery sends packed Virginia mall into chaos

Maria Leaf

January 01, 08:04 PM January 01, 08:31 PM

Shoppers looking for post-holiday sales at a mall in northern Virginia wound up running for cover after a man robbed a jewelry store.

The heist happened around 5:30 pm Sunday at Tysons Corner Center in McLean, an upscale suburb of Washington, D.C.

Fairfax County Police say the man used a hammer to smash a display cases at Elite Jewelers open and grabbed the jewelry.

The man then ran out of the store on the first floor, dropping the hammer and losing one of his shoes as he ran away.

The sound of broken glass made shoppers run screaming into the closest store as employees rushed to close the doors and keep everyone safe. No gunshots were fired and there were no immediate reports of injuries.

Most stores remained locked down for a half hour, although some kept shoppers inside longer as the suspect had not been captured.

It's unclear how much the robber escaped with or what type of jewelry was taken. Police put up tape outside the store, but it didn't stop shoppers from coming and taking a closer look as the hammer and shoe laid nearby.

Mall management had no comment when asked by the Washington Examiner about the robbery. Fairfax County Police are continuing their investigation.