AUBURN HILLS (WWJ) -- Helzberg Diamonds at Great Lakes Crossing Outlets was the target of thieves who got away with about $11,000 worth of jewelry over the weekend.
The robbery happened Saturday, according to police, causing a panic among shoppers at the mall on Baldwin Rd. in Auburn Hills.
Police said the three suspects used sledgehammers to smash the store's jewelry cases.
The Auburn Hills PD told Fox 2 that several shoppers captured the robbery on their cell phones.
In a social media post, police sought to dispel false reports that there was an active shooter at the mall on Saturday. "This is NOT TRUE and there is no threat to the public. There is a police presence for a larceny incident, and nothing else at this time," reads a post on the Auburn Hills PD Facebook page.
Jennifer Gralewski-Ayers said she, her daughter and her daughter's friend were in the food court next to the jeweler when they witnessed the robbery.
"When people heard the noise they ran and yelled shooter. Even though the girls saw the hammer, we figured someone else saw a gun too. We didn’t take any chances. We ran down the employee hallway," Gralewski-Ayers wrote on Facebook.
She added: "I’d like to thank the food court worker who let us hide in the bathroom with him when I pounded on the door. He didn’t know what was going on and he still let us in! We probably looked crazy to him. He even went out, checked to make sure everything was okay, and came back for us. I hope someone can tell him thank you for us!"
Police said they are still searching for the suspects in robbery.
This is the second scare involving false reports of a gunfire at Great Lakes Cross in recent weeks.
Back on Dec. 10, chaos broke as the mall when holiday shoppers fled what they believed was an active shooter. In that case, police said there was a fist fight involving some young people, but nobody had a gun.