MO in Tilton jewelry store robbery said familiar

TILTON — Tilton Police continue to investigate the brazen armed robbery of a jewelry store in the Tanger Outlet Mall a just before 8 p.m. Friday night.

Police Chief Robert Cormier said three men, two of whom were wearing masks similar to those worn in the horror movie series "Scream," stormed in the Kay Jewelers store and ordered ordered everyone, including a mother and her 12-year-old daughter to the floor at gun point.

While the robber with the silver semi-automatic hand gun kept the people on the floor, the other two broke display cases with hammers and gathered nearly $200,000 in jewelry into cloth cases.

Police said the subject with the gun was apparently keeping time and was telling the other two to "keep going you still have time."

After two minutes, Cormier said the three fled into the woods behind the Irving station to the west of the shopping center. He said witnesses said it appeared to them like the three had done something like this before.

After customers and employees called 9-1-1, police from Tilton, Northfield, Sanbornton and Belmont as well as a K-9 dog from the N.H. State Police began searching the woods behind the outlet malls.

Cormier said no customers or employees were harmed but all were "very shaken up."

Cormier said Saturday he has been in touch with other police departments in the Southern part of the state and in northern Massachusetts whose communities have experienced similar jewelry store robberies.

While it's too soon to be sure, Cormier said there are reasons to think there may be some similarities.

Cormier cautioned the three people should be considered armed and dangerous and encourages anyone with any information to contact the Tilton Police Department at 286-4442.