Police Searching for Stolen Jewelry Sold at Pawnshops, on Street Corners

Men allegedly robbed Zales, then sold items

Fort Worth police are asking anyone who bought jewelry from two robbery suspects to contact police.

Police say Joel Gaucin and Aaron Tafoya, both 18, robbed the Zales store at Hulen Street and Interstate 30 and then sold the stolen items at pawnshops and on street corners in the city's Northside.

"These individuals were selling the jewelry on the street, in pawn shops or giving the jewelry as gifts to people in the area that they knew," Detective Brian Raynsford said.

Gaucin and Tafoya were arrested following a tip.

Investigators said security footage from Zales shows Gaucin calmly walking from counter to counter with a gun in his hand on Sept. 27 as clerks filled several bags with jewelry.

Tafoya was waiting outside in the getaway car, police said.

"There was concern someone could be hurt," Raynsford said. "They were armed, and they weren't shy about pointing the weapons at people."

The two have been tied to a similar robbery at the Zales store inside the Parks at Arlington mall in July.

Police have recovered some of the stolen items and are hoping the rest is returned.

"We hope that by publicizing the faces of these individuals, people will remember purchasing jewelry from them or getting jewelry from them as gifts and will contact us so we can retrieve the property and get it back to its rightful owner," Raynsford said.

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