At first glance it seemed like the smash-and-grab robbery at the Lux, Bond & Green jewelry store in Westport would be anything but an easy case to crack; in fact, it proved even harder than that.
The Westport Police used security camera footage, which allowed them to see the two individuals taking an array of precautions to conceal their identities and getaway, including wearing black masks and gloves to break into the Jewelry store before speeding off in a BMW. It certainly didn’t help that the getaway car they used was tracked to another unsolved case of a stolen vehicle. Then, as police lieutenant Eric Woods recalled, a breakthrough came from the private sector.
“We were contacted by the Jewelers Security Alliance,” Woods said to the Westport Journal. “They heard about our case…[and told us] there’ve been eight similar incidents in Connecticut since the beginning of the year… they were all the same.”
Within 24 hours, police had tracked down one of the suspects, Jason Thourbourne, through his alleged interaction with past crimes that were of a similar nature. In November, a second defendant, Joshua DeJesus, was transported to Westport to be charged and held on a $250,000 bond.
During the raid on Thourbourne’s residence, police seized five Rolex watches and a cellphone that was in the same area at the same time as the robbery occurred. Westport police also discovered communications between Thourbourne and DeJesus about possible buyers for the watches.
“I saw the surveillance footage…they were really professional,” Yash Banerjee ’24 said. “I thought they’d be more careful with their communications.”
The robbery itself, especially the occurrence of it in broad daylight with staff and customers present, previously had gathered concern from residents.
“The jewelry store and car thefts were the two most prominent robberies this year,” Mikael Nagy ’24 said. “I’m really glad that they caught the perpetrators fairly quickly; it’s a deterrent against future crimes like this.”
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Jewelry Store robbery case closed, Westport Police reveal how they caught perpetrators
Given the professional execution in their crimes, the criminals’ casual communications served as a stark contrast to the rigor involved in the actual heist.
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About the Contributor
Henry Watson ’25, Web Opinions Editor
After school, Henry Watson ’25 doesn’t take a break. Instead, he focuses on investing.
“I enjoy investing because I get to make predictions,” Watson said.
Watson makes many of his predictions with the help of reading the news every day.
“It’s a routine for me,” Watson said. “I read a couple of news sites so that I can stay informed.”
This constant attention to financial news ignited his interest towards journalism.
“I like writing any story related to the news because I enjoy learning about it,” Watson said. “I feel my interest in journalism has made me a stronger writer.”