Da Nang police arrested an American man who staged a violent robbery at a PNJ gold shop, stealing 20 pieces of jewelry worth nearly USD 32,700, just under 15 hours after the incident.
On August 27, police in Da Nang apprehended a foreign suspect involved in the robbery at a PNJ gold shop.
Earlier, at around 7:50 p.m. on August 26, residents on Nui Thanh Street, Hoa Cuong Ward, were shocked by a bold daylight robbery at the PNJ gold store.
The PNJ gold shop where the robbery occurred.
According to police, just minutes before the incident, Nguyen Ngoc Th. (born 1977, resident of Thanh Khe Ward), a security guard, was sitting outside the shop when a man wearing a green Grab jacket and a face mask suddenly attacked him from behind. The attacker struck the guard repeatedly on the head with a 20cm-long metal rod, causing him to collapse on the spot.
The robber then rushed inside, using a 40cm claw hammer to smash two glass display cases and stuffed jewelry into a backpack. According to the store’s inventory, 20 gold jewelry items were stolen, including 11 diamond-studded pieces, with a total value of nearly VND 833 million (USD 32,700).
Hearing cries for help, bystanders tried to block the store entrance with a metal bar to prevent his escape. However, the suspect broke the lock and fled.
Fearing the suspect was armed, most witnesses did not attempt to confront him directly. He ran a short distance before disappearing into the crowd on Nui Thanh Street.
Da Nang police examined the scene and launched an urgent investigation. The city's police chief ordered the immediate establishment of a special task force, with the Criminal Police Department leading the overnight operation in coordination with local units.
Footage from security cameras and citizen recordings identified the suspect as a tall male, approximately 1.8 meters in height, wearing a Grab-style jacket and with foreign features. Before the robbery, he had parked a license plate–removed PCX motorbike in a nearby alley about 30 meters from the PNJ store.
Da Nang police investigating the crime scene.
The suspect arrested by police. Photo: CACC
Most of the stolen jewelry was found hidden above a gypsum ceiling. Photo: CACC
Investigators discovered that the suspect had previously rented the motorbike for transportation. On the night of August 26, he removed the license plate and used the motorbike to approach the gold shop. After committing the robbery, he returned to the alley, got on the motorbike, and fled. On his way back to his apartment, he transferred the jewelry into a different bag and discarded the backpack.
That same night, the police began checking hotels, guesthouses, and rental apartments across the city, while also verifying motorbike rental records to trace the suspect.
Under direct orders from the police chief, the task force identified the suspect at 10:30 a.m. on August 27 as W.D.L, born in 1996, a U.S. national, hiding in an apartment on Pham Tu Street in An Hai Ward. When police arrived, he attempted to escape but was immediately subdued and arrested.
Most of the stolen jewelry was found hidden in the false ceiling of the bathroom in the rented apartment. The Criminal Police Department recovered the stolen items and the tools used in the robbery, and they continue to investigate the case.
Vietnamnet.vn
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