THE WOODLANDS, Texas – Deputies are searching for two suspects after a bystander was assaulted during a smash and grab robbery at The Woodlands Mall Tuesday morning.
According to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, the suspect used a hammer to smash the cases at the Helzberg Diamonds inside the mall.
A person who tried to stop the suspect was injured when the suspect hit them in the face with a hammer during the heist, deputies said.
The victim was taken to the hospital in an unknown condition.
The suspect fled the scene with an accomplice in a Rav4 SUV, which they later abandoned behind Pier 1 Oak Ridge North, just across the freeway from the mall.
The search for the suspect was suspended Tuesday afternoon and no arrests have been made. Police say the suspect was likely picked up.
Four schools, Oak Ridge Elementary, Oak Ridge High 9th Grade Campus, Oak Ridge High School and Houser Elementary, are under a lockout as deputies search for the suspects.