Suspected jewelry thieves detained in Jelgava after car chase and warning shots

Latvia's State Police last week detained two men in Jelgava suspected of robbing a jewelry store in Bauska. The arrest followed a car chase and involved officers firing warning shots into the air.

The Bauska theft

On September 10, police received a report that three men had entered a jewelry shop in Bauska and stolen items worth a total of 22,500 euros. A criminal case was opened, and police launched a search to identify and locate the suspects.

Chase and escape attempt

On September 17 at around 2:40 p.m., officers from the State Police's Special Tasks Battalion spotted a car on the Jelgava highway that they believed was carrying the wanted individuals. The driver refused to stop when ordered and fled, driving into Jelgava and continuing along Miera Street. After turning onto Zemeņu Street, the car reached a dead end, at which point the passenger jumped out of the moving vehicle and tried to flee on foot.

The driver, a man born in 1992, was detained at the scene by officers from the Criminal Police Bureau of the Zemgale Regional Department. An officer fired several warning shots into the air, after which the fleeing passenger, a man born in 1994, was also detained.

Court proceedings

On September 18, a court ordered pretrial detention for the 1994-born man, while the other suspect was already subject to an existing court ruling on detention. A criminal case has been opened under the section of the Criminal Law covering theft committed by an organized group, which carries a prison sentence of two to ten years.

Police noted that all three individuals linked to the theft had previously come to police attention for similar crimes, and that available information suggests this organized group has long been involved in robbing jewelry stores across Latvia. A third suspect remains at large.