Attempted armed robbery at East State jewelry store

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) Police were called to Do's Jewelry at 2809 East State Blvd. in response to a reported armed robbery around 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday.

According to the police report, two men walked into the jewelry store and demanded cash, both with handguns. Police said Rang Q. Do, 54, of Fort Wayne was one of the two employees working at the time of the incident and was hit on the head and in the face with a handgun.  He was taken to a hospital in serious condition, but was upgraded to fair Thursday morning.

The two men fled the scene; police do not believe they got away with any money or jewelry.

Police said a neighboring business owner called in the armed robbery.

FWPD Public Information Officer Raquel Foster said it was odd for a store in such a busy strip mall to be targeted.

Police were able to get descriptions of a car from witnesses and a possible escape route from the scene. Two traffic stops were initiated using this information and the second car that was stopped was determined by police to be a get-away car.

The car was pulled over around the 3200 block of Wayne Trace. Police found evidence of the robbery attempt inside the vehicle and arrested the driver, Stafford Staples, Jr., 18, of Fort Wayne.

Staples has been interviewed and is in custody at the Allen County Jail. He faces a B-felony charge of robbery.

A second suspect, Theron A. Smith, 19, of Fort Wayne was also arrested Thursday on a felony charge of robbery-causing serious bodily injury.

Investigators said that an additional arrest is forthcoming in this investigation.

Police are asking that any information regarding this case be reported to the Fort Wayne Police Department or Crime Stoppers.