Armed suspects rob Union Square jewelry store

In San Francisco’s second jewelry store robbery in the past week, three male suspects robbed a Union Square jewelry store at gunpoint Friday morning, police said.

The robbery was reported around 11:45 a.m. Friday in the 500 block of Sutter Street near Powell Street, about a block from Union Square, according to police. Three male suspects, armed with at least one handgun, entered the jewelry store, and ordered the employees to get on the ground.

Police said the suspects then took the jewelry from the safes and display cases before getting into a light-colored SUV. The SUV was last seen traveling west on Sutter Street and the suspects have not yet been identified.

Police said the age and race of the suspects have not been identified, but that the three males were seen wearing dark clothing and had masks covering their faces. Police are reviewing video surveillance footage and are continuing to investigate the robbery. Officers are also investigating an armed robbery of a Tiffany & Co. jewelry store on Wednesday.

The Tiffany & Co. jewelry store robbery at 845 Market St., located on the first floor of the Westfield San Francisco Centre, about five blocks from the scene of Friday’s robbery, occurred at about 3 p.m. on Wednesday, San Francisco police Sgt. Monica MacDonald said.

In that robbery, police are also looking for three armed suspects, San Francisco police Officer Grace Gatpandan said. The robbery suspects ordered everyone in the store on to the ground and then ordered an employee to open cases filled with jewelry, MacDonald said. The suspects took jewelry and then fled the area, according to MacDonald.

She said police have not yet determined how much jewelry was stolen and are reviewing video surveillance footage of the incident. Gatpandan said the suspects in the Tiffany & Co. robbery were described as black men in their 20s. They were reportedly wearing masks as well.

Gatpandan said witnesses stated that at least one of the suspects at the Tiffany & Co. robbery was armed with a handgun. No suspects have been arrested in either robbery and police have not said whether the two incidents are related.

Anyone with information regarding either robbery is asked to call the San Francisco police anonymous tip line at (415) 575-4444 or text a tip to 847411 with “SFPD” in the body of the text followed by the message.