Glendale police respond to downtown jewelry store robbery [Updated]

A Glendale police car is parked in front of the Jewelry Mart at the corner of Wilson Ave. and Brand Blvd. after the store was robbed on Monday, November 15, 2010. (Roger Wilson/Staff photographer)

Authorities are pursuing suspects allegedly involved in an armed robbery of a jewelry store on Brand Boulevard at Wilson Avenue.

Glendale police responded to calls of a robbery taking place at the Jewelry Mart store about 25 minutes ago. The suspects reportedly fled the scene north on Brand Boulevard and got on the freeway. California Highway Patrol officers have reportedly joined the chase, which went from I-5 to the 110 South through South Los Angeles.

[Updated 2 p.m.: Police have detained one man and two women in two separate vehicles after a highway chase into South Los Angeles.]

[Updated 4:10 p.m.: Three people suspected of robbing a Glendale jewelry store Monday afternoon were detained the same day on the Interstate 105 following a pursuit into South Los Angeles, officials said.

A man and two women are being held by police on the freeway near Crenshaw Boulevard following reports that they have may have robbed Glendale’s Jewelry Mart at 12:59 p.m. today, Sgt. Tom Lorenz said.

“The reason we were able to get on it so quickly was because we had so many people calling us,” he said.

Police did not immediately release their identities.

A Glendale Water & Power worker said he was entering the store to advise employees that the water was going to be shut off during repairs when he saw four or six suspects carrying large duffel bags walk in at the same time.

The worker, who did not want to be identified, “took off running” because he feared the worse. He said the robbery lasted about 20 seconds.

A woman, who declined to give her name for fear of retribution, said she was in the store to buy jewelry for her mother when the robbery occurred.

The woman, who was visibly shaken, said she headed to back of the store when she suddenly heard shouting and a loud banging noise that sounded like gun shots.

The woman said she yelled at fellow customers “Don’t go out there” and began looking for a rear entrance or cubbyhole to hide from the suspects.

— Reporting by Veronica Rocha