HOLYOKE, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) – An attempted robbery at Holyoke Mall almost left one jewelry store without one of its priciest items. Western Mass News spoke to the owner of the store, who was there when it all happened.
A $16,000 Cuban link chain necklace was nearly gone, but thanks to the quick thinking and fast feet of Furnari Jewelers’ owner Joe Furnari, this story has a much more golden ending.
Western Mass News received a copy of the shocking surveillance video. We were told that the man entered the store and was acting friendly Friday afternoon around 4:30 pm when he asked to see a variety of gold chains. After a while of shopping around, the man was holding one of the heaviest and most expensive chains the store had to offer. Just seconds later, he was running out of the store, but it did not take long for Furnari to follow him.
“That’s a $16,000 gold chain. I said, ‘I got to get that back. I worked hard for that gold chain,’” Furnari recalled. “The chase, you know – I haven’t run like that in a long time – and I was just chasing him, and as I got closer to him. I yelled at him, ‘I’m going to catch you! I’m going to catch you!’ He got scared, I thought, and he threw the chain down. That’s when a lady picked it up and handed it to me.”
On top of getting that chain back, Furnari is grateful that none of his employees were hurt in the incident.
Meanwhile, a police report has been filed, and Holyoke Police are investigating. However, a suspect has not been identified and the man who caused all of this is still at-large.
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