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Society and Culture
Cartier Jewelry Heist in Paris Sparks Hostage Capture and Police Chase
Hey y’all!
Sometimes I run across a story that gives me a chuckle that I feel needs to be shared. This is one of those times. Last Tuesday evening in Paris, France, two men walked into the Cartier store located on one of the most iconic streets in the world, the Champs-Élysées, and robbed the place. Not only did they steal from Cartier but they led police on a brief chase and even took a hostage.
Both men were armed with AK-47s when they walked into Cartier demanding the jewelry be taken out of the display cases. Of course the men were interrupted by the sirens of the police who were on their way. The men dashed out of Cartier with the store manager as their hostage, but they let him go so the two guys could hop on their getaway scooter. The robbers fired shots into the air before losing their balance and toppling over. Forced to flee on foot, the robbers eventually made their way into a hair salon where they took a second store manager hostage.
One hundred French police were mobilized to the hair salon–even a helicopter was sent out. A hostage negotiator was able to talk the guys into releasing the manager and turning themselves in. The whole episode went down in under two hours.
One police officer was wounded by a bullet fragment and of course one of the suspects was injured during the scooter fall. France has seen several high-profile robberies of luxury jewelry stores in recent years. I wonder if this is a trend? Paris does have some of the best high-end shopping in the world!
I love a story like this because it is so dramatic and feels like it really should have been a scene in a movie and not reality. Only in Paris would men rob a Cartier store, flee on a scooter, and give up in a matter of hours. Oh how I love the French!
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