Bystander Stops Jewelry Heist By Crashing Thieves' Getaway Car Into Jewelry Store

There's more than one way to stop a robbery. Hopping in the running getaway car and crashing it into the store that's getting robbed isn't the first way I'd think of, but that's what happened at Gold Rush Jewelers in Petaluma, California, reports ABC7 News.

Police say six suspects stormed the store, wielding hammers, pepper spray, and a firearm. They allegedly started smashing the jewelry cases and stealing their contents while holding employees at gunpoint. That's when an anonymous passer-by saw what was happening and decided to do something about it.

He said the suspect's getaway car was idling out front, so he jumped into action.
"I went over to take the keys out of car and noticed it was still running. I couldn't do nothing, because it was a key fob. I rammed the car into the building to stop them and basically did. Cause two of em' got caught," he said.

The crash smashed much of the storefront, as well as a roof pillar. The suspects were understandably surprised at this sudden turn of events. They decided it was time to leave, piling into the wrecked getaway car to make their escape after pepper-spraying the man who had intervened. 

Police captured two 18-year-old suspects who fled the scene on foot, so the smash-into-the-store-with-the-car strategy was at least partially successful. The remaining four suspects drove the damaged car a short distance before it stopped, leading them to flee on foot as well. So far, they seem to have made off with the jewels, but police are still looking for them. None of the jewelry store employees was harmed in the heist or the crash that ended it.

As good as the bystander's intentions were, I do question his methods. From ABC7 News:

"That's wild. Very brave of them. Maybe not the best idea — grab a getaway car and ram into the store," said Markus Hakkarainen.

Brave is one way to put it. Police would likely tell you not to get involved at all, especially when the robbers were clearly armed. Another idea might've been to simply drive the car away. That would have forced all the thieves to escape on foot, potentially increasing their chances of getting caught. It's also worth reiterating that driving a car into a store puts the employees' safety at risk too — not just the robbers. 

Petaluma police have not said anything about the bystander's actions, so we don't know whether he'll be charged or praised for what he did (and the extra property damage he caused). Vigilante justice might look heroic, but we generally recommend leaving the policing to the police, and occasionally the snowplows.