NYC jewelry store owner, 79, is beaten and pistol whipped during $500,000 heist in broad daylight

Police have released surveillance footage of a jewelry store in New York City after its owner was beaten and pistol-whipped during a $500,000 daylight robbery heist. 

Two unidentified men entered the Queens jewelry shop at 2.30pm, before striking the store owner in the head with a weapon and taking off with $500,000 worth of stolen goods.

The 79-year-old owner of Diamond Collect, who was watching over the business at the time, suffered from injuries to the head after the robbery at the 39th Avenue store on Wednesday, February 22. 

The video footage displays one of the robbers, who is caught wearing a blue Amazon delivery worker jacket, luring the vulnerable woman to open the front door.

The imposter delivery man waited within a close distance of the shop before ambushing the woman, named Yuchi Lin, who went to open the door to grab the parcel. 

Two unidentified men entered the Queens jewelry shop at 2.30pm, before striking the store owner in the head with a weapon and taking off with $500,000 worth of stolen goods

The pair of burglars was last spotted running north on Prince Street, officials claimed, as police urge anyone with information to come forward 

He proceeded to run towards the woman and pushed her inside, before entering the establishment along with his accomplice. 

Eva Cheng, the victim’s daughter, told NBC New York: ‘My mom didn’t open the door because, for security reasons, we usually ask the delivery man to drop off at the front door. My mom thought the guy left’. 

She added that someone had rung up the store beforehand to confirm the delivery minutes before the crooks arrived.  

Police claim that the two thieves smashed display cases in the store before stashing their merchandise into a brown Amazon box. 

The second robber, dressed in a black hoodie and face mask, is also caught on video carrying a brightly-colored bag.

Footage released by the NYPD shows both of the men pulling out guns whilst they ransacked the high-end store. 

According to Eva, the robbers took her mother into the office and ‘forced’ her to open up the valuable safe, despite the woman insisting that she did not have access to the key. 

The wicked pair of burglars was last spotted running north on Prince Street, officials claimed.

Footage released by the NYPD shows both of the men pulling out guns during the daylight heist

The two thieves smashed display cases in the store before stashing their merchandise

The video footage displays one of the robbers wearing a blue Amazon delivery worker jacket as a part of his disguise 

Although the police believe they stole a grand total of half a million dollars’ worth of items, Eva said it could be double. 

She said:  ‘I would say more than a million dollars.

‘I sell diamonds, colored diamonds, more like precious investments kind of diamonds.’

After a decade of running their business from the  Flushing neighbourhood of Queens, the city’s largest Chinatown, the jewelery store will be leaving its site for a new location.

Eva explained how they no longer feel secure in the establishment and will not allow a repeat offense. 

Whilst frightened by the ordeal, the shop owner is now recovering from the assault.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.