MANHATTAN — The owners of a Midtown jewelry store famous for selling bling to the stars are offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the capture of a thief who tried to rob the store at gunpoint on Sunday, according to a spokeswoman.
The thief held at gunpoint two employees of Rafaello and Co. Jewelry at 22 W. 47th St., between Fifth and Sixth avenues on Sunday but fled after the gun fell apart in his hands when he tried to shoot, according to a police report.
"This will not be tolerated and we are offering this reward to figure out who did this so the owners can have peace of mind," said Alicia Gooding, a publicist for the store which she said has supplied celebrities like Jay-Z, Nas and Alicia Keys.
The ordeal began at about 4 p.m. on Sunday when the man walked into the store and asked to see a chain in the display case, according to authorities.
As one clerk, a 61-year-old man, went to the back of the store to grab a key for the case, the suspect pointed a gun at the head of another employee, a 33-year-old woman, police said.
The woman screamed, summoning the other clerk who then fought the suspect for the weapon, police said.
The suspect managed to get free and tried to use his gun, only to have it fall apart in his hand, police said.
He fled empty-handed and hadn't been arrested as of Monday morning, police said.
According to Gooding, however, the shop's owners and employees were still trying to figure out on Monday morning if any merchandise was missing.
The suspect is in his early 20s, roughly 6-foot-2 and was last seen wearing a black jacket, black pants, black shoes and a black baseball cap, police said.
Police asked that anyone with information contact Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS (8477).
