Perth Amboy police defend response time in SD Jewelry robbery investigation
Surveillance video captured four masked men using sledgehammers to break into SD Jewelry on Madison Avenue as the mother-and-daughter owners tried to stop the suspects from fleeing in a gray BMW SUV.
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A midday robbery at SD Jewelry in Perth Amboy left the store’s mother‑and‑daughter owners saying they lost $1 million in merchandise.
Surveillance video captured the entire heist at the Madison Avenue store on Wednesday. The footage shows four masked men using sledgehammers to smash through the store window before grabbing jewelry and stuffing it into bags.
The video also shows owners Stephanie Duran and her mother confronting the suspects at their getaway vehicle and trying to keep them from leaving Madison Avenue. The women were then knocked to the ground by the SUV as the suspects fled.
RELATED: SD Jewelry in Perth Amboy was wiped out of $1M in merchandise following a smash-and-grab
The four men drove away in what was described as a very identifiable gray BMW SUV. As of Thursday, the suspects were still on the run.
The owners said they were disappointed police officers did not arrive in time to help stop the men.
In response to questions about the police response, Perth Amboy police said in a message posted on social media, “Officers arrived on scene within approximately 25 seconds after the location was confirmed. The individuals involved had already fled the area. Officers obtained a description of the vehicle, located it, and initiated a pursuit.”
Police said the chase was later called off because it became too dangerous to continue.
News 12 reached out to police for an update on the case and whether it could be connected to a nearly identical smash‑and‑grab robbery at a jewelry store in Jersey City in January.
