Video of an armed robbery of a jewelry store in New York City's Diamond District in broad daylight was released by the New York City Police Department on Monday.
Police say the incident began around noon on Sunday when three men entered Avianne & Co. while posing as customers. One suspect was dressed in a gray suit wearing a fedora, while another man can be seen wearing a black bucket hat and a third suspect wearing a red bandanna on his head. The footage shows one suspect sitting at a table with two employees, who glances at the camera before pulling out a pistol. Another part of the video shows an employee with his hands up while two suspects escort him through the store at gunpoint.
"They threatened us; they threatened our lives," one employee told NBC News.
The trio of thieves restrained the four store employees up with duct tape and zip ties and then stuffed high-end watches and other jewelry in a duffel bags before retreating on foot, police said.
Avianne & Co. is a well-known high-end jewelry store that counts 2 Chainz, Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj and Justin Bieber, among its clientele.
The three suspects got away with an estimated $4 million worth of jewels, according to the report. The employees were not seriously injured.
Photo: New York Police Department