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Jewelry Store Owner, Cell Phone Repairman Chase Armed Robber into Subway Station, But Lose Him

By DNAinfo Staff on May 18, 2010 6:02pm  | Updated on May 19, 2010 12:05am

An armed robber stole two duffel bags full of jewelry from this storefront display.
An armed robber stole two duffel bags full of jewelry from this storefront display.
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DNAinfo/Jennifer Glickel

By Jennifer Glickel

DNAinfo Reporter/Producer

FINANCIAL DISTRICT — A brave jewelry store owner and wily cell phone repairman almost thwarted a gun-toting thief Tuesday when they chased the robber into a subway station moments after he'd robbed them.

But the thief made off with two duffel bags full of precious goods from the 116 Fulton jewelry store before police could catch him.

Robert Nemadi, who runs a cell phone business at the back of 116 Fulton St., said the drama began to unfold just after 11 a.m.

Nemadi said the thief walked into the store and demanded that he and an employee put their hands in the air.

The thief put a gun to the head of jewelry store owner Josh Shayestech and demanded he fill the bag with with chains, watches and earrings from the display window.

NYPD officers dusted for fingerprints at 116 Fulton Jewelry after an armed robber made off with two duffel bags full of jewelry.
NYPD officers dusted for fingerprints at 116 Fulton Jewelry after an armed robber made off with two duffel bags full of jewelry.
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DNAinfo/Jennifer Glickel

A quick-thinking Nemadi, who was wearing a bluetooth headset, discreetly dialed 911 on his iPhone and quietly told the operator what was going on from his position at the rear of the store.

“I wasn’t scared because I was in the back, but the owner was definitely scared because he had a gun to his head," Nemadi said.

After filling the duffel bags, the robber fled the scene and walked calmly down the block to the Fulton Street 2/3 subway station, police said.

Shayestech and Nemadi trailed the thief into the subway station where he sat down on a bench to wait for the train. The men alerted the subway station attendant about the situation, but by the time NYPD officers were able to get to the scene, he'd escaped.

The store was reopened for business by 1:45 p.m.