'A couple of grinches hit us': Local antique, jewelry store robbed Saturday morning
Beck Antiques and Jewellery's new location in Sherwood Park Mall was robbed Saturday morning, with thieves making off with several items, including coins and antique bills.
RCMP say officers were dispatched around 6:40 a.m. to the mall entrance nearest the Cineplex for the break-in.
Two robbers smashed the mall door, rushed into the mall and broke into the store to steal the items out of glass display cases, Beck Antiques said in an email newsletter to its patrons.
"A couple of grinches hit us and it is unfortunate that people are getting so desperate that they resort to crime," said Clinton Beck, Beck Antiques founder, in that email.
"We try and build the most beautiful stores and have the most amazing shopping experience for customers and then some hoodlums have to wreck it," Beck added. "We had a beautiful window display meant to bring joy shoppers, it is unfortunate that we have depraved individuals that have to ruin it."
Mounties said both thieves were males, one had a hammer and the other had a form of metal bar. One wore a black jacket with their hood up and another had a grey sweater and a mask covering their face.
Damage after an early morning robber at Beck Antiques and Jewellery on Saturday, Nov. 26, 2022 (Supplied).
"The investigation continues into this break and enter," said Cst. Drew Burchett, with Sherwood Park RCMP, in a statement.
"It appears that the damages caused during this event may be more costly than the articles taken."
In an interview Sunday, Beck told CTV News Edmonton it is estimated the thieves grabbed about $10,000 to $15,000 worth of sliver, antique bills and currency. He said mall security responded quickly and missed catching the robbers by 30 seconds.
"It was that close," he added. "The robbers were in and out in a couple of minutes."
Beck Antiques moved to Sherwood Park Mall in June hoping that having a mall storefront would be a "safer choice" than a standalone street store. In 35 years of business and running five locations, Beck says break-ins are an unfortunate part of the business.
"You almost get immune to it," he said. "It's more hard on the staff and on people that aren't used to it as much as I am. It's difficult to watch."
"Even though we are in a mall, we are going to be increasing our security."
The store is offering a $500 reward for information leading to solving the robbery.
Anyone with tips is asked to contact Sherwood Park RCMP at 780-467-7741 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477. Tips can also be submitted online.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING NEWS Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
Residents of northern Alberta First Nation told to shelter in place
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Metro Vancouver mayors call for serial killer Robert Pickton to be denied parole
A dozen mayors from around Metro Vancouver say federal Attorney General and Justice Minister Arif Virani should deny parole for notorious B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton, and reassess the parole and sentencing system for 'prolific offenders and mass murderers.'