2 men, 4 teens charged in smash-and-grab jewelry store robbery in Markham

Two men and four teen boys have been charged in a smash-and-grab jewelry store robbery in Markham that was caught on video on Wednesday.

In a news release on Thursday, York Regional Police said two of the accused are 19, one is 17, two are 16 and one is 15 years old. At the time of the arrest, one of the 19-year-olds, two of the 16-year-olds and one of the 15-year-olds were out on bail.

All six have been charged robbery with an offensive weapon, disguise with intent and possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000, according to police.

Police say they also are seeking six other male suspects: four who were allegedly involved in the robbery directly and at least two who acted as getaway drivers.

The jewelry store is located at Markville Shopping Centre in the area of McCowan Road and Highway 7, where police say the robbery took place shortly after noon.

Videos of the incident posted online show masked men smashing the windows and front door of Lukfook Jewellery.  Police have not verified any footage but said they are aware of videos circulating online. 

Police said while officers were close to the scene, a white Honda Civic, believed to be one of the suspect vehicles, rear-ended another vehicle the intersection of McCowan Road and Highway 7. 

Officers saw men fleeing from the vehicle and arrested four suspects after a brief chase and two others in a washroom of a nearby food establishment.

According to police, the Honda Civic was reported stolen on Nov. 10, 2024 from Toronto. A beige SUV is believed to be the second getaway car involved in the incident. 

Anyone with information is urged to come forward to police.