On the heels of another brazen jewelry store smash-and-grab in Barrie before Christmas, one of four young men accused of robbing another Georgian Mall jewelry store last summer has taken a plea deal. The 17-year-old from Toronto, whose identity remains protected by the Youth Criminal Justice Act, has admitted to being one of four hooded and masked young men who smashed up Dia Amore Jewellers in Barrie’s Georgian Mall in mid-August. The teen, who turns 18 in May, pleaded guilty to robbery and disguise with intent to commit an indictable offence for being part of a crew that shattered display cases with hammers, loading whatever jewelry they could into bags, before being chased off. The entire 20-second smash-and-grab was caught on camera. Jewelry store robbery suspects busted in Barrie, Ont. The four young men were then seen fleeing the mall in a stolen Honda Civic that crashed on Innisfil Beach Road when it lost control and ended up in a ditch in a construction zone, according to police and the Agreed Statement of Facts, read in by the Crown this month. Police said the four young men and their getaway driver, who was 16 on the afternoon of August 18, 2025, were quickly arrested and taken into custody. The 17-year-old from Toronto is the first of the accused to plead guilty in the case. He also faces gun charges in Toronto, according to court records obtained by CTV News, and was denied bail twice before taking the plea deal. Two of his co-accused, 22-year-old Ahmed Al-Saeed and 19-year-old Jahzyi Smith remain behind bars. 2 young men accused in Barrie jewelry store robbery denied bail Al-Saeed, the only accused from Barrie, had been working as a mechanic a few weeks prior to the jewelry store robbery. Al-Saeed and Smith return to court on Wednesday. Two minors, who turn 17 and 18 later this month were each granted bail to their mothers and remain out on bail, including one young man police say was found with a gun on him. Dia Amore Jewellers was targeted twice in 12 months, and it is unclear whether any of the accused were involved in both robberies of the store. Police seek 4 suspects accused of armed robbery at Barrie mall The Toronto teen’s lawyer, Jeffrey Fisher, told the court his client had no knowledge his co-accused may have had a gun on him that day and that the young man made a “very poor decision surrounded by a bad group of friends.” His sentencing hearing is scheduled to take place in February, when it is expected a pre-sentence report ordered by the judge is finalized to lend insight into the youth’s background. The allegations against the accused have not been tested in court.
