A store owner shot a would-be jewelry store thief during an early morning heist in Montgomery County.
The incident played out just after 5 a.m. at Jems Jewels & Gold at The Shoppes at English Village shopping center just off Bethlehem Pike (Route 309) in North Wales, Pennsylvania, Horsham Township police said.
A group of people broke into several shops starting around 4 a.m. and cut through a of a wall of a nearby store to get into the jewelry store, sources close to the investigation said. A broken lock could be seen at a neighboring Massage Envy location. A hole was cut from that store into the waxing store next door.
"Surprising, shocked, yeah disappointed to say the least," Waxing in the City owner Liz Martin said.
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The jewelry store owner interrupted the heist as the suspects were already in the store, police said.
The thieves, smashed through several walls and a bathroom on their way to the jewelry store.
Power was cut to at least one business and that may have triggered a response from the store owner, sources said. The jewelry store owner found the suspects at work and struggle ensued during which the shooting took place.
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The injured suspect was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries that required surgery, police said.
The suspect -- identified as Timothy Overman of Poland, Ohio -- was arraigned from his hospital bed early Thursday and held on $1 million bail. Prosecutors argued that since it was actually three robberies and since Overman has several previous arrests in Ohio -- including pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter that bail should be set so high.
In court, Overman's defense said he has three children to support and works as a truck driver.
The search was on for other suspects.
Investigators sorted through evidence that was left behind. Police didn’t immediately give a description of the suspects or reveal how they got away.
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