A police chase of three armed robbery suspects in downtown Manhattan ended in a crash at a busy intersection Thursday afternoon.
Police were chasing down a Jaguar occupied by three men suspected of robbing a jewelry store on Bowery in NoHo when the vehicle crashed at Broadway and Bond Street.
There was heavy police presence in the area as officers cordoned off the crash scene.
According to police, three armed robbers burst into a packed jewelry store and took $60,000 worth of diamond bracelets.
One of the victims in the jewelry store robbery said he and his business partner heard a commotion and looked up.
"I saw a fellow leaning over the booth and actually robbing the store, the jewelry store," said one of the store managers, who wasn't immediately able to give his name. "I jumped over the counter, and then I saw he was pointing a gun. He says, 'Take it easy, take it easy,' so naturally I stopped."
The store owner, who only gave his first name as Paul, said, "It took maybe about 15, 20 seconds, max. The girl in another store in the back saw the thing, and pressed the silent alarm."
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The owner said the men ran out after the robbery and fled in a Jaguar. The owner and several other workers chased after the car on foot until police intervened.
The alleged robbers drove the wrong way down several narrow one-way streets until they crashed, police said.
Paul said he didn't know why his store was targeted.
"I have no idea, which is kind of scary because not too long ago, next door happened same thing also," he said. "So it's a really, really big problem."
All three suspects were in police custody by 4:30 p.m.
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