Armed Robbery At Jewelry Store Leaves Security Guard Critically Wounded, Police Hunt Suspects In Bucharest

Bucharest, Romania— An armed robbery at a jewelry store left a security guard critically wounded Wednesday afternoon after two masked men stormed the shop, smashed display cases, and opened fire.

Romania TV reported the heist occurred at 1:15 p.m. in a mall on Calea Victoriei. The suspects entered wearing motorcycle helmets and gloves. One carried a pistol, the other a hammer. They shouted for staff to get down.

The guard, 52, tried to block the entrance. He was shot twice, once in the chest and once in the abdomen. He collapsed near the doorway. The robbers then smashed three glass cases and grabbed trays of gold watches and necklaces.

Witnesses said the entire raid lasted 90 seconds. Shoppers ran toward exits. Store staff triggered the silent alarm. The suspects fled through the service corridor, exited to a side street, and escaped on a black scooter.

Police from the Organized Crime Unit arrived within six minutes. They cordoned the mall entrance and seized CCTV. The footage shows the scooter with no license plate. Officers found a discarded helmet two blocks away.

The guard was taken to Floreasca Emergency Hospital under police escort. Doctors operated for three hours. His condition remains critical. Police said he has worked in private security for 20 years and was unarmed.

Inspector Adrian Stoica said the loss is estimated at over 300,000 euros. He said the method matches two other jewelry robberies in Bucharest and Cluj this year. He said the suspects knew the mall layout and camera blind spots.

Mall management closed the complex for the day. Forensic teams dusted the cases for prints and collected shell casings. The mall's security contractor said it is reviewing procedures.

Police issued images of the suspects taken from mall cameras and asked for witnesses who saw a black scooter near Calea Victoriei around 1:20 p.m. No arrests have been made. The investigation is active.