St. Catharines jewellery store owner fights off armed robbers

A jewellery store owner in St. Catharines is shaken up after being attacked in broad daylight.

The attack happened at Karat Jewellers in Fairview Mall in St. Catharines. The mall had just opened when the two men walked in just after 10 am.

In security video, the attacker is seen walking into the store and trying to get behind the counter. That’s when the owner comes out from the back room and the men talk, the attacker is seen wearing a mask and latex gloves.

“I asked him what he wants and he said I want the keys.” Konstantinos Voulgaridis, owner.

The robber then took out a hammer from his pocket and smashed a glass display case

“I didn’t know if he had anything else on him but I didn’t care, I just jumped on him.”

Voulgaridis then runs towards the attacker and takes him down but then another masked man comes running into the store to help attack the owner. When the owner’s friend who was in the back heard the commotion, he came barrelling in too.

“I didn’t know what to do so I just screamed and yelled and ran towards them and barrelled into them and knocked them over.”

In the end, no one was hurt and nothing was stolen but Voulgaridis learned from the experience, saying that he will no longer display so much jewellery.

Niagara regional police are still searching for the two men involved.