Crime in Broad Daylight

Watch masked robbers pull off daring jewelry store heist in Irving

The amount of jewelry stolen hasn't been released.

Seven people dressed in black busted into an Irving jewelry store in broad daylight on November 19. The masked suspects used hammers to smash glass display cases and grab the goods.

The daring robbery happened around 11:30 am Sunday, just 30 minutes after Tilak Jewelers opened in the 8300 block of North MacArthur Boulevard.

Security camera footage shows three employees running to the back of the store as a gang of robbers stormed through the front door. It appears as if one employee may have been able to trigger the alarm.

The crime took less than two minutes, and no one was reported injured. James McLellan with the Irving Police Department said two employees were restrained with zip ties but otherwise unharmed.

Tilak Jewelers declined to comment on the ordeal or reveal how much merchandise was stolen. "You see what you see. I don't want to get involved," said an employee who answered the phone on November 21.

McLellan said he wasn't aware of any similar takeover style robberies in the area of late, and that the Dallas FBI Violent Crimes Task Force was assisting in the investigation.

Anyone with information on the crime is asked to call 972-721-2535 or email IPDCrimeTips@cityofirving.org.

E-Cigarette News

Dallas City Council places restrictions on vaping in public

Man vaping, e-cigarette

Unsplash

Man vaping

Vaping will now be banned exactly like smoking, thanks to a new ordinance from the Dallas City Council.

At their December 11 meeting, the council passed an ordinance to ban vaping in all the same areas where smoking is not allowed. It'll go into effect on December 11, 2025 — giving everyone a year to get into compliance.

Proposed by City of Dallas Environmental Commission (EVC) and the Office of Environmental Quality and Sustainability (OEQS), the ordinance amends the definition of “smoking” in the Dallas City Code to include the use of vaping devices.

The ordinance does not ban vaping — it only bans where you can vape: no vaping in all indoor and enclosed spaces; within 15 feet of building entrances; and on park property. The ordinance also bans marijuana smoking in those same places.

In addition, the amendment requires restaurants, hotels, fitness centers and other businesses to update their signage to clearly state that both smoking and electronic smoking devices are prohibited.

The ordinance already earned widespread support from health organizations such as the Dallas County Health and Human Services, the American Lung Association, and the American Heart Association. These organizations, along with the World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the U.S. Surgeon General, have all raised concerns about the health risks of direct and second-hand exposure to vaping aerosols, particularly for vulnerable populations such as children and older adults.

Dallas is not the first city to impose such a ban: San Antonio enacted a similar ban in October. Theirs goes into effect on January 1, 2025.

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