Manhattan, NY – The FBI is now assisting the NYPD’s investigation of Wednesday’s deadly armed robbery of an Upper East Side jewelry store, a law enforcement official tells DNAinfo.
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Agents from the FBI’s Major Theft Squad have been working with NYPD detectives since Thursday to identify the killer and locate the jewelry stolen from the R.S. Durant store, FBI spokesman James Margolin said.
As relatives of Henry Menahem laid the slain 71-year-old worker to rest, a squad of 40 NYPD detectives continued canvassing buildings, shops and restaurants around R.S. Durant Jewelers on the Upper East Side in the hope of finding someone who saw the masked gunman flee.
The NYPD task force blanketed the neighborhood around the jewelry store, with detectives going to every apartment with a view of the crime scene on Madison between East 75th and 76th streets.
Probers are canvassing restaurants to see if any workers may have seen the getaway. They also are reviewing receipts in hopes that the crook may have bought a meal before or after the robbery.
The gunman killed Henry Menahem, 71, and took nearly $1 million in jewels during the brazen noontime heist.
Investigators have been talking to long-time criminal informants to help in the investigation, and are also putting jewelry industry trade groups on alert to look for the stolen items, a law enforcement official said.
Whether the thief acted alone or had accomplices and how he may have disposed of the stolen jewelry is a major focus of the investigation, officials said.
The FBI says most organized criminal groups targeting retail jewelry stores in the U.S. are from South America, particularly Colombia, along with some Balkan groups.
Investigators said the jewelry taken in Wednesday’s robbery may already have been sold for cash, or “fenced,” in New York or in any of the other three major fencing hubs in the U.S. identified by the FBI — Miami, Houston and Los Angeles.
“Many jewel thieves have ongoing and well established relationships with fences who are part of the conspiracy,” Margolin said.
Police described the suspect as a black male, 5’10”, 160 lbs, wearing sunglasses, dark knit cap, blue coat, gray slacks and black gloves.
Anyone with information is asked to call 1-800-557-TIPS.
I don’t understand, why the door buzzer and the video was not working in such a high class store. This tragedy could have been avoided.
All Jewelers need major securtiy guards with guns……. unfortanately this isnt a new story.
While I certainly hope the murderer is found and brought to justice, it looks to me like there’s, well, a two tier police response depending on the victim’s “importance”. or maybe visibility. Or something. In this case we’ve got “a squad of 40 NYPD detectives continued canvassing buildings”, and _plus_ the FBI. How many detectives does the typical murder victim in NYC rate these days?
Was the deceased an owner or an employee? Hard to lose one’s life (irrevocable) over things.
How about posting a $100,000 reward. Someone knows this Cholera.