Wayne jewelry store owners thwart armed bandit

The owners of a Wayne jewelry store fought off an armed would-be robber Thursday, Radnor police said.

An apparent accomplice drew suspicion when he entered Amirian Jewelers on Lancaster Avenue and asked to see only high-end engagement rings, Detective Sgt. Andy Block said.

When the owners declined to show him the rings, he promised to return later with a cashier's check and drove off in an old car about 3 p.m. "We believe he was casing the establishment," Block said.

An hour later, another man entered and asked to see costly rings. When the owners refused, he doused them with pepper spray and pulled out a handgun. The male store owner, who was not identified, engaged the bandit in a fight that moved "from the back of the store to the front," Block said.

A witness chased the bandit in the parking lot until the man turned and threatened him with the gun, Block said. The bandit was last seen running on West Wayne Avenue toward Bloomingdale Avenue. - Bonnie L. Cook