Bearded, bicycling suspect sought after Newmarket jewelry store robbed at gunpoint

TORONTO — Police are asking the public for help in identifying a suspect with a “long beard” in an armed robbery at a jewelry store in Newmarket over the weekend.

York Regional Police said a man entered the store, in the Yonge Street and Mulock Drive area, pointed a handgun at an employee and demanded he fill a backpack with jewelry.

Once the bag was full, police said the suspect forced the victim to handcuff himself to the front door before escaping on a bicycle. The employee was not injured in the robbery.

The suspect is described by police as a Middle Eastern man aged 30 to 40 years old standing 5’10” with a long beard that went down to his chest, wearing a dark baseball hat, dark glasses, black gloves, a long, dark jacket and dark pants.

The suspect was also carrying a black handgun in his right hand but police said the employee was uncertain if the beard was real or fake.

Investigators are reminding business owners of the importance of updating video surveillance equipment, as there were no surveillance images released in the incident.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the York Regional Police Hold-Up Unit at 1-866-876-5423, ext. 6631, or call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS, leave an anonymous tip online at http://www.1800222tips.com, or text your tip by sending TIPYORK and your message to CRIMES (274637) starting with the word YORK.