Masked men blind jewelry store employee with bear spray before robbery, feds say 

Two men were arrested after federal prosecutors say they used bear spray in robbing a jewelry store in New York City, making off with $800,000 in merchandise.

About an hour before sunset on Aug. 10, while many businesses were preparing to close, a crew of at least six individuals entered a jewelry store on a busy, four-lane road in the Bronx, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York.

They wore black ski masks and carried bear spray, hammers and at least one gun, prosecutors said.

Upon entry, one man discharged the bear spray at an employee standing behind a counter, temporarily blinding them.

“At very close range, the pressure can cause permanent eye damage,” according to the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee.

Another individual then began smashing glass display cases with a hammer, according to the news release.

The crew then swiped about $800,000 worth of jewelry from the cases and other parts of the store before fleeing the scene by foot, car and moped, prosecutors said.

Two suspects, Pablo Valenzuela, 32, and Aaron Miller, 23, were later identified by prosecutors using a combination of surveillance footage and cell phone data. A photo on Miller’s Instagram showed him wearing a “distinctive” pair of patterned shorts that were seen at the robbery, according to court documents.

Both men were arrested this week and have been charged with multiple felonies in connection with the armed robbery and could face decades in prison, according to federal authorities.

Attorneys for Miller and Valenzuela could not be reached by McClatchy News.

“Smash and grab robberies have become more brazen, and the criminals responsible must be held responsible,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Michael Driscoll in the release.

There were 13,831 recorded robberies in New York City in 2021, up slightly from the previous year, according to city data.

Of New York’s five boroughs, the Bronx has the highest crime rate, according to the Gothamist, a local news site.

This story was originally published November 10, 2022 at 10:01 AM with the headline "Masked men blind jewelry store employee with bear spray before robbery, feds say ."