Hunt is on for jewelry store gunmen

Mathis Winkler

NEWPORT BEACH -- A jewelry industry watchdog group has put up a $1,000

reward for information leading to the arrest of three gunmen involved in

a shootout at Fashion Island’s Traditional Jewelers on Tuesday, police

said.

Security guard Rafael Gomez, 41, of Santa Ana, who was wounded during

the attack, remained in stable condition Thursday, said Sgt. Steve

Shulman, a spokesman for Newport Beach Police Department. No one else was

hurt, and the gunmen escaped with no property.

With the suspects still at large, detectives continued Thursday to

interview witnesses in search of information that could lead them to the

attackers.

While Shulman added that his department was keeping open all possible

scenarios for the shooting, every explanation remains speculative at this

point.

It is possible, for instance, that the robbers -- who never entered

the store and immediately opened fire, shattering the shop’s glass doors

-- could have planned to vandalize Traditional Jewelers rather than rob

the store, Shulman said.

“Is it likely? No,” he said, adding that a failed robbery was a more

likely explanation of the incident.

Because similar robberies in the Newport-Mesa area during recent years

remain unsolved, Shulman said detectives were considering that Tuesday’s

attack had been committed by an organized ring of robbers.

But Shulman added that he’d be reluctant to speculate about whether

the gunmen had been experienced criminals or first-time offenders.

Anyone with information about the crime is asked to call the Police

Department at (800) 550-NBPD (6273).