FERGUS – Graham and Amy Wilkin are determined to make the best of a bad situation.
Early on Jan. 21, someone threw an object through the front windows of Ron Wilkin Jewellers, on St. Andrew Street West in downtown Fergus, breaking the glass and making off with some of the jewelry on display in the window.
“We’re still figuring out what was taken,” said Amy in an interview on Monday morning at the store.
She said the thieves didn’t enter the store; they just took what was in the window.
“Only the low-cost items were in the window – we put the good stuff in the vault. So that’s good,” said Amy.
“But we have special glass in the window and it’s probably more expensive to replace than the jewelry.”
Amy said the store has an alarm system and officials got a call around 4:30am on Sunday informing them the alarm had gone off.
Police were also called, and Amy said she and Graham arrived at the store as police were arriving on scene.
“The police have been awesome to deal with,” she said.
Amy explained there was broken glass on the sidewalk and inside the store as the tossed object had gone through the interior glass of one of the showcase windows as well.
She said the business has security cameras, footage from which police are going through.
Apparently, there are also witnesses. Some folks who live above the downtown shops heard the glass breaking and some have made statements to police.
Vehicles of interest
Amy said it appears as if the thieves were using a stolen vehicle as their getaway car.
“It’s very annoying,” said Graham. “They did more damage than what they got.”
“It is an invasion,” Amy added. “It’s a bit unnerving.”
Wellington OPP media relations officer Joshua Cunningham stated in an email police are still investigating and asking for the public’s assistance.
He said there are two suspects: the first is described as a male with a large build, wearing a black hat, while the second is described as a male with a medium build.
“The suspects were operating a stolen black sport utility vehicle (SUV) from the Guelph area,” Cunningham stated.
“Police would also like to identify a yellow/black sedan that was witnessed in the area.”
Anyone with information can call 1-888-310-1122.
Submitted photo
Not the first time
Ron Wilkin Jewellers has been robbed in the past, Amy said.
Although she couldn’t remember what year, sometime in the last 10 years someone broke the glass in the front door and entered the store.
In that case too, the valuable jewelry was safely locked in the vault and only costume jewelry was taken.
Amy said the business belongs to an association of independent jewellers and according to the association, there have been many jewelry store robberies in recent years.
“And some of those robberies have happened in the day when the stores were open. That would have been much worse,” she said.
“If it had to happen, I’m glad it happened when we weren’t open.”
The windows are now boarded up, the glass has been swept up, and the couple is going through inventory, trying to determine what was taken.
They’ll be dealing with their insurance company and trying to find someone who can replace the windows in the historic building.
Amy said it was mostly costume jewelry that was taken – silver or stainless – items that won’t get the thieves very much if they try to sell it.
The store is normally closed on Mondays. The Wilkins’ say they intend to open on Tuesday as usual.
“No one was hurt. The valuable jewelry was not taken. I’m grateful for that,” Amy said.
“We could have done without this, but it could have been much worse.”
