“So scared”: Victim of a jewelry store robbery still in shock

Ahmad Fatah says he has barely slept in the last 48 hours.

The Barrie man is deeply shaken after a lightning strike at Dia Amore Jewelers in Georgian Mall on Monday night in which he may have been armed with a firearm left him with injuries to his head, leg and abdomen.

“Honestly, I'm at home. I haven't been able to go out. I'm so scared right now. Whenever something happens, my whole body starts shaking, even if I just get a phone call,” he said. “Even if my daughter touches my back, I flinch and feel scared.”

Fatah, whose uncle owns the store, has worked for the company for about 10 years. They also have a branch in Bayfield Mall.

He says the incident on Monday evening left him severely traumatized.

According to Barrie police, the robbery occurred on August 26 shortly before 8 p.m., involving four men who smashed display cases and stole an unknown amount of jewelry. They left the mall on Bayfield Street and fled in a stolen white SUV.

Fatah says he returned to the store briefly on Tuesday to assess the damage and was close to tears when he saw all the broken glass.

“My mind is not normal. This is very scary. It is very hard for me,” he said.

Fatah says he was attacked by one of the thieves and now has a large bump on his head.

“In that situation, I couldn't do anything. I was shocked. In an instant, the guy with the big knife jumped at me and another guy was there with the gun. You never know if it's real or not. You can't decide anything at that moment,” he said.

Fatah says the thieves dragged him to a corner of the store and continuously shouted at him not to move or look up, while he says they were holding a gun and a knife.

“They kept hitting me on the stomach, on the leg, on the shoulder. I didn't know what had happened to me at the time, but when I came back yesterday, it was very hard for me,” he said. “I can see this scene in front of me.”

Fatah says he hasn't slept well since the robbery.

“Last night I was walking around the house. The night it happened, I came back from the hospital, it was about one in the morning … and all night I was walking around. I was scared,” he said. “As soon as I closed my eyes, I felt someone jump on me.”

The store at Georgian Mall opened just a few months ago, Fatah noted, adding that his cousin is still working to determine the stolen merchandise and its value.

“They took a lot with them,” he said.

In an email, Terri Andrianopoulos, senior vice president of human resources and branding at RioCan REIT, which owns the north Barrie mall, said security was immediately alerted and Barrie police were on the scene within minutes of the call.

“We are relieved to report that no one was injured in the incident,” she said.

Since the investigation is still ongoing, Andrianopoulos directed further questions to Barrie police.

According to a press release from the city police on Tuesday morning, four suspects were involved in the robbery, who smashed glass display cases and fled in a stolen white SUV.

The investigation is ongoing and no further information has been released.

Anyone who witnessed the robbery or has video footage is asked to contact the investigating officer at [email protected].

Information can also be submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-222-TIPS or leaving a tip at p3tips.com.