Man in pig mask, two others try to rob jewelry store at Bellagio casino in Las Vegas
Police arrest pig-masked gunman after he and two well dressed men tried to rob jewelry store at Bellagio casino, early saturday
Masked men who struck a high-end jewelry and watch store at a luxury hotel in Las Vegas appear to have used sledgehammers to break into the shop’s jewelry cases, authorities said.
One suspect is in custody and the investigation is continuing following the robbery of the store at high-end Bellagio Resort & Casino overnight on Friday, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police detectives said Saturday.
Detectives also said earlier reports of shooting during the burglary were unfounded, and they now believe the sound of sledgehammers striking the jewelry cases were mistaken for gunfire.
When police descended upon the resort and casino in response to the burglary, guests fled in panic from the property, flooding surrounding streets, amid false reports of an “active shooter.”
Earlier witnesses said, the group of at least three burglars, one of whom was seen wearing a pig mask and wielding a sledgehammer, broke into a Rolex store inside of a legendary Las Vegas casino early Saturday, police said.
Scores of police officers decked out in tactical gear rushed to the Bellagio casino shortly after midnight, as reports of an active shooter streamed in over Twitter.
The resort was immediately put on lockdown for roughly half an hour, ABC News reported.
Patrons milling around at the Bellagio after the robbery
While police said no one was injured, witnesses recounted a chaotic scene inside the casino.
A woman who witnessed the incident said she had just gotten out of the bathroom when she spotted a stocky man wearing all black standing guard outside the Rolex store., but to hers shock, the man who had a handgun also wore a pink pig mask.
“He was screaming at people, pointing his gun, making sure that anyone who was close just got away,” According to the witness the man in the pig mask man repeatedly shouted “Get out! Get out!”
She snapped a photo of the bizarre situation before runing outside for safety.
Police activity at the Ballagio Casino, Las Vegas after the incident
Cops told the Las Vegas Sun that the suspects tried to flee in their car, but it wouldn’t start when they found it in the parking lot. They continued on foot and tried to carjack a driver at an undisclosed location. That didn’t work out either. They then tried to get away on foot, police said.
The lockdown, which included the casino and the parking garage were shut down for at least an hour as officers secured the scene and made sure no one was injured, police said.
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