Suspects Escape Across State Line After Armed Smash-and-Grab at Oregon Mall

Two suspects remain at large following an armed smash-and-grab\ robbery at a Kay Jewelers inside the Washington Square Mall in Tigard, OR, on Saturday evening.

The incident occurred around 6 p.m. when two men entered the store. Tigard Police Department spokesperson Kelsey Anderson told The Oregonian that one suspect was armed with a gun while the other used a sledgehammer to smash a display case. KATU News reported that the noise from the shattered glass rattled shoppers and sparked initial rumors of gunfire, though police confirmed no shots were fired and no one was injured.

After seizing an unknown amount of merchandise, the suspects fled in a dark-colored Honda Accord. The heist triggered a multi-agency pursuit involving Tigard police, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, and Portland police.

Washington County detective Anel Cerić told The Oregonian that the chase continued through downtown Portland, where they hit other cars, causing minor damage, and onto northbound Interstate 5. Oregon authorities called off the pursuit once the suspects crossed the state line into Washington.

As of Sunday afternoon, the suspects had not been identified.

“Sleight of Hand” Gang Hunted in Northern Virginia

Virginia police are searching for 21-year-old Baltimore woman and several unidentified suspects linked to a series of “sleight-of-hand’ jewelry thefts in late March.

Investigators say Cristina Milhaela Paun and her accomplaces targeted victims at shopping centers in Springfield, Chantilly, Herndon, and Franconia in Fairfax County. The suspects often approached victims in parking lots to ask for directions or offer “birthday hugs,” using the distraction to swap real gold jewelry for costume pieces.

“I think shark is the best word to describe the behavior that we saw,” Major James Curry told FOX 5 DC, adding that suspects “swarm” parking lots searching for victims.

Paun was briefly detained by Delaware State Police on March 21 but released before her identity was confirmed; she remains at large. NBC4 Washington reported that members of the South Asian community appear to be the primary targets.