Employee speaks out after smash-and-grab robbery at mall in Palm Desert
An employee speaks out following a smash-and-grab robbery at a jewelry store at the Shops at Palm Desert Tuesday evening.
Related: Multiple suspects in custody after robbing a jewelry store at Palm Desert mall
The Riverside County Sheriff's Department detained multiple suspects: a 21-year-old man from Hemet, a 25-year-old woman from Los Angeles, and two minors. Erika Peddle works inside the mall and saw the chaos unfold.
"Scary to not know what's going on and to see people-- I saw a few people running," said Peddle. "I was told, maybe you should try getting somewhere safe, like leaving the mall, that kind of stuff."
Sheriff's deputies placed the mall on a short lockdown after the robbery at M. Ruiz Jewelers. Investigators said the suspects shattered the display cases with sledgehammers and glass-breaking tools, which echoed through the mall, causing panic.
Some witnesses thought it was an active shooter, but the Sheriff's Department confirmed it was not.
"I think it was a day or two before we had a training video on what to do if there was a shooter… then the next day, the robbery happened, and not knowing what was going on, I was like, my first thought was, oh, no, shooter. Luckily, it wasn't," said Peddle.
Investigators are working to determine if these suspects are involved in similar incidents throughout Riverside and Orange counties.
The Shops at Palm Desert released the following statement:
We can confirm that on July 25, The Shops at Palm Desert, the Riverside County Sheriff, and our security staff responded to an isolated smash-and-grab incident in the center. No injuries were reported. The situation has been turned over to Riverside County Sheriff, and we are fully cooperating with authorities.
As the incident is still under investigation, we cannot make any further comment. The safety of our shoppers, tenants, and employees remains our top priority and we will continue to work with local authorities and our security team. For more information, please contact the Riverside County Sheriff at the Palm Desert Station at (760) 836-1600.
Mollie E Doyle, Assistant General Manager, The Shops at Palm Desert
