Colorado Springs, CO, January -27 - 2007 - Have you ever wondered why a person would be foolish enough to commit armed robbery knowing the punishment and consequences are far worse then the payoff of their crime! Any person who commits a subsequent offense while armed with a firearm or assault weapon shall be punished by imprisonment in the Colorado state prison for up 10 to 20 years.

On December 27, 2007 at 4:27:00 PM, Diamond City Jewelers in Colorado Springs was robbed by three suspects, one (1) described as carrying a black hand gun that entered through the front door of the business and ordered the employees to sit on the floor Indian style. Two of the suspects proceeded to smash the glass display cases and remove an undetermined amount of jewelry. The suspects fled from the store and were seen leaving in a "bright green sedan". There were no injuries.

After the robbery the owner of Diamond City Jewelers Mike Bonicelli said "his only concern was for the safety and well being of his employees, and is grateful that no one was harmed during this incident". Diamond City Jewelers is offering a $10,000 reward for the arrest and conviction of the robbers and encourages anyone with valuable information to contact Crime Stoppers at 634-STOP. You can remain anonymous!

On January 13 th Lauri Martin from KKTV Reported: "Held at gun point and robbed, a jewelry store was hit and the crooks make away with thousands of dollars in rings and watches. 11 News has the exclusive surveillance video of the robbery that happened near Academy and Bijou on December 27th. In the surveillance video, you can see, somewhat, two guys smash jewelry cases with the butts of their guns. "You could hear glass breaking everywhere," said the store manager. She was one of four employees working at the time. "He ordered us to the front to sit Indian style with hands on our heads," she said. "I thought we were going to be shot." The bad guys hit the high dollar jewelry cases, stealing engagement rings and watches before hitting the cash register. "It was pretty scary for all of us," she said. "The first thing I was thinking was 'Oh my goodness, this is not the way I want to go.' I prayed to get out of here alive." The manager thinks the crooks may have cased the joint beforehand. "They grabbed what they could and said have a nice day, waved and left." Police are looking for at least three suspects who are described as two white males and a black male in their early 20's."

It's not a matter of "IF" a criminal gets caught for a serious crime; it's a matter of "WHEN"! In the end, a criminal only punishes himself and can only blame themselves for the actions they committed!

If you have any information, please call

Crime Stoppers at 634-STOP.