Jewelry Stores Targeted ing ski masks and gloves walked into the store at approximately 1:45 p.m. and announced a holdup. All the people in the store were ordered to drop to the floor as the robbers fired their guns — an AK-47 automatic assault rifle and a .45 caliber handgun — into a display case, shatter- ing it. The thieves then emptied the contents of the case into.bags and escaped in a red Chevy Cav- alier, said Officer John Harris of the Southfield Police. Smash-and-grab robberies at Tapper's and Darakjian among string of incidents. JILL DAVIDSON SKLAR STAFF WRITER W est Bloomfield and Southfield police de- partments are investi- gating the possible link between two recent jewelry store armed robberies. The most recent robbery took place about 11:15 a.m. March 12 at Tapper's Diamonds and Fine Jewelry in West Bloomfield. Two men wearing ski masks entered the store and fired one shot from a 9-millimeter semi-automatic handgun into a display case filled with loose diamonds and other jewelry. They grabbed an undetermined amount ofjewels and fled from the store. The robbery took less than a minute, said Lt. Carl Fuhs of the West Bloomfield Police Depart- ment. The thieves escaped in a car which was abandoned less than a quarter of a mile away. That car had been stolen. Lt. Fuhs said armed robberies aren't high on the list of crimes that occur in West Bloomfield, especially in the Orchard Mall where Tapper's is located. "There hasn't been one there in a couple of years," he said. "We don't get a whole lot of rob- beries around there." Southfield police feel the thieves may be the same indi- viduals involved in another crime which took place Jan. 30 at John Darakjian Jewelers on Northwestern Highway between 12 and 13 Mile roads. In that crime, two men wear- Similar methods in area robberies. Southfield officers are worried because of the shots fired. Police feel it is only a matter of time be- fore the violence used to break open a case ofjewels is directed at a person. LAST WEEK'S POWER OUTAGE HAS CREATED A POWER SHOPPING OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU! 10% Rebate* w on any purchase March 22nd-29th (/) LU 11Q it)/ S 111 CC LU CD LU 24 "This is a little more brazen than the usual jewelry store rob- bery," Officer Harris said. A second armed robbery in Southfield took place five weeks after the Darakjian incident a few blocks up Northwestern at Einstein Brothers Bagels. In that incident, three employees were herded into a walk-in cool- er by a masked gunman, about 20 years old. Because of the nature of the crime, Southfield police think there may be a tie to the Darakjian store robbery. "I am not dismissing the fact that this could be the same guy," said Officer Harris. However, West Bloomfield po- lice do not feel the bagel robber was one of the men they are seeking in connection with the Tapper's crime. "These guys were not after bagels," he said. "They appear to be professional jewel thieves." A similar jewelry robbery took place at a Service Merchandise store in Troy last week. ❑ The normal deadline for local news and publicity items is noon Thursday, eight days prior to issue date. The deadline for out- of-town obituaries is 10 a.m. Tuesday, three days prior to issue date. All material must be type- written, double-spaced, on 872x 11 paper and include the name and daytime telephone number of sender. Since 1986 STEVEN TARNOW PREFERRED 22221aca j Additions Kitchens • Bathrooms Remodeling Building Quality Into Every Project With Unmatched Personal Service. NAM' 810-626-5603 Licensed & Insured • SATIONAL AMMO°, Of TICE ItSMODELING NDLSTRY A DAVID ROSENMAN'S Mlle mum. PlUIKIHIASERS NEW & USED CAR BROKER Sales • Leasing • Buying (810) 851-CARS (810) 851-2277 Bloomfield Plaza • Telegraph at Maple Road OPEN MON-SAT 10-6PM, THURS. "IR 8PM * Rebate, in the form of store credit, may be applied against any regular priced items during April & May 1997. Does not apply to special order pick ups or any store promotions. Publicity Deadlines 10662 Northend Oak Park , Michigan Fireplace Distributors Steve Brown SALES, SERVICE & INSTALLATION Tel. (810) 547-6777 Fax (810) 547-6678 GO