Police seek second suspect in daytime gold heist

The thieves appeared to have smashed the glass cases at the front of the gallery

One suspect is in custody and another is still at large after a daytime gold heist near Granville Street on Monday.

Vancouver police are investigating the robbery, which took place at Douglas Reynolds Gallery at Granville and West 7th Avenue. One thief smashed a series of display cabinets and took an undisclosed amount of gold before fleeing the scene in a waiting car.

Police located the suspected getaway vehicle near the area of the heist and arrested the lone occupant. They are still seeking the second suspect.

Sgt. Randy Fincham told reporters Monday afternoon that police were uncertain whether the person they arrested was the perpetrator of the crime or someone who had waited in the car. He said investigators are talking to witnesses in the area and will release a description of the remaining suspect after their interviews are complete.

Fincham said police would not disclose the value of the gold jewelry that was taken, but gallery owner Douglas Reynolds estimated that it was less than $100,000.

Reynolds said the pieces taken were more valuable for their artistry than for their raw material. He estimated that a bracelet stolen in the heist had a retail value of $26,000, but contained only $4,000 worth of gold.

“What you’re paying for with northwest coast jewelry is the art, the artists, the craftsmanship,” Reynolds said. “Most of the gold taken was Haida.”

The gallery is currently showcasing “Haida Masters,” including works by Robert Davidson, Don Yeomans, and Bill Reid. Reynolds said he wasn’t sure on Monday afternoon which pieces had been taken or which artists had crafted them.

This isn’t the first time Reynolds’ gallery has been robbed, but it is the first time since the gallery’s first year of operation 19 years ago, he said. That year, the gallery was robbed twice.

Reynolds said the gallery’s location on one of Vancouver’s busiest streets is one of several security measures he thinks reduces the risk of incidents like Monday’s.

“I have shatterproof glass cases, so we’ve never really thought of any issues of somebody coming in with a hammer and smashing the cases,” Reynolds said. “This comes as quite a shock and quite a surprise.”