Two men wearing surgical masks smashed jewelry displays with a hammer, stole the jewelry and pepper sprayed MJ Diamonds employees inside the Great Lakes Crossing Outlet in Oakland County before fleeing on foot toward a freeway, officials said.
The incident happened at 4.30pm on Friday (August 11).
During an initial investigation, police revealed while assisting three pepper sprayed victims that the suspect may have fled the area in a black Kia Soul.
Police said the vehicle belonged to Aguilar-Mondaca and after further investigation, it is believed the men had visited the Great Lakes Crossing Outlets two days earlier.
Members of the FBI’s Oakland County Gang and Violent Crime Task Force conducted surveillance in the Oakland Mall area at 5:42 p.m. Thursday (August 24) to locate a vehicle in connection with the Auburn Hills robbery.
Officials observed three men wearing masks entering the Macy’s at the Oakland mall. Their black Kia Soul headed toward Interstate 75 north, then turned on its hazard lights and parked on the shoulder of the parking lot across from the Macy’s entrance.
Police say three men entered the jewelry counter, pepper sprayed employees, then used a hammer to smash the glass of the display case before stealing the jewels.
The two men left the store, ran across the car park, jumped the highway fence and got into a vehicle parked on the shoulder.
Members of the FBI task force and the Troy Police Department successfully stopped the vehicle and arrested all four men involved.
Stolen jewelry, cash and other evidence related to the Great Lakes Cross outlet robbery have been recovered, police said.
The Oakland County Attorney’s Office charged Saturday (August 26):
Hernan Parraquez-Mondaca was charged with five counts of armed robbery, five counts of felony assault and two counts of malicious damage to property
Michael Aguilar-Mondaca was charged with five counts of armed robbery, five counts of felony assault and two counts of malicious damage to property
Sandrino Rojas-Palma was charged with five counts of armed robbery, five counts of felony assault and two counts of malicious damage to property
Nicholas Caceres-Henriquez was charged with two counts of armed robbery, two counts of felony assault and one count of malicious damage to property
Each armed robbery count is a felony and carries a maximum penalty of life in prison.
Each count of felony assault is a felony punishable by up to four years in prison and a $2,000 fine.
Each count of malicious damage to property is a felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of $10,000 or three times the value of the damaged property.
