Why the Daejeon Downtown Jewelry Store Robbery Suspect Was Caught 14 Hours After the Crime

Robbery in Downtown Daejeon During Evening
Arrested While Returning to Retrieve Clothes Changed After Crime

A robber who broke into a jewelry store in downtown Daejeon during the evening and stole precious metals was caught by the police about 14 hours after the crime.

The Dunsan Police Station in Daejeon urgently arrested a man in his 40s, identified as Mr. A, on suspicion of robbery and is currently investigating him, Yonhap News reported on the 29th. Mr. A is accused of entering a jewelry store in Dunsan-dong, Seo-gu, around 8:16 p.m. the previous day, disguised as a customer wearing a mask and hat, spraying an unidentified liquid prepared in advance from a PET bottle at a female employee, and stealing precious metals worth 20 million won before fleeing.

At the time, Mr. A acted as if trying on and looking at items, then suddenly climbed onto the display case and grabbed the precious metals before running away. While escaping, he sprayed the liquid from the PET bottle at the employee. The employee was taken to the hospital for treatment but is reported to be in no life-threatening condition.

Gold and silver shop robbery image.

The police regard the liquid used in the crime as a harmless medicinal product and have sent it to the National Forensic Service for analysis. The victim testified that the liquid smelled like a pain relief patch, and it is currently presumed to be water-based pain relief solution. After analyzing the CCTV near the crime scene, the police identified Mr. A as a suspect and arrested him around 10:30 a.m. that day in a commercial building in Dunsan-dong. At the time, Mr. A was caught when he came to retrieve the clothes he had left in the building after changing clothes following the crime.

Mr. A is a resident of another region, and the police believe he committed the crime impulsively after passing by the victim store and realizing the closing time was near. He reportedly stated during the police investigation, "I needed money because I had debts." Mr. A is unemployed and has no prior criminal record of the same kind. The police have recovered all the stolen precious metals. They plan to apply for an arrest warrant on charges of robbery once the investigation is complete.