Three teens were arrested for an armed robbery at a Kitchener jewelry store after witnesses caught and detained the suspects until officers arrived on scene.
Multiple people reported the robbery at Highland Hills Mall at around 5 p.m. Friday.
Waterloo Regional Police said three males went into the jewelry store, used hammers to smash display cases and stole merchandise.
As they were running away witnesses chased after them and held them in a mall hallway until police could take over.
Video of the moments after the robbery were shared with CTV News.
It shows three people, dressed all in black, running away from MT Jewellers & Goldsmiths with hammers in hand.
A separate photo shows people holding down them down on the floor, corroborating the information shared by police.
Photo of witnesses holding down jewelry store robbery suspects in Kitchener. (Submitted)
Investigators said the three suspects arrived at the mall with a fourth person in SUV that had been stolen in Peel Region two days earlier.
No injuries were reported during the robbery or arrests.
Police said a 15-year-old, 16-year-old and 18-year-old were charged with robbery with a weapon, disguise with intent, possession of a weapon for dangerous purpose, possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000.
All three are from Brampton.
Police are still looking for the fourth person, believed to be the driver of the stolen vehicle.
The SUV is described as a black 2024 Jeep Wrangler with the Ontario license plate number CZXZ 122.
While police appreciate the efforts of the bystanders, they advise against getting involved.
“We wouldn’t want anyone to be injured in an incident such as this,” said Const. Melissa Quarrie, a WRPS public information officer. “Individuals who do commit these types of crimes are frequently armed, as they were in this instance. They can be unpredictable, they can be violent. We do want to ensure that everyone is safe.”
