CHICAGO –  A report by WDIV-TV Local 4 has revealed details surrounding the arrest of one of the two men who attempted to rob a jewelry store in Dearborn on August 7, 2024. The report states that the suspects traveled from Illinois to Michigan to carry out the crime, only to return empty-handed after being repelled by the store’s owner.

According to the NBC-affiliated station, Emad Elayyan, 31, is facing federal charges of armed robbery, which could result in several decades of imprisonment. The identity of his accomplice has not been disclosed. The target of the attempted heist was Mariam Jewelry, located on Schaefer Road, near the intersection of Warren Avenue in East Dearborn.

Elayyan was arrested at his home in a Chicago suburb on September 20, in connection with two armed robberies at jewelry stores in Bridgeview, Illinois. Investigators later suspected his involvement in the failed Dearborn robbery as well as a fourth robbery in Winchester, Missouri.

Together with other accomplices, Elayyan is believed to have robbed Jawaher Jewelry and Jerusalem Jewelry in Bridgeview in July 2023 and January 2024, respectively. He then allegedly targeted Mariam Jewelry in August 2024, followed by Zahab Jewelry in Winchester on September 14, just days before his arrest by the FBI at his home in Chicago Ridge.

While Elayyan and his accomplices successfully stole large quantities of jewelry in the Bridgeview and Winchester robberies, the Dearborn heist ended in failure — and nearly led to their immediate capture.

Local 4 reported that investigators were able to link Elayyan to the failed Dearborn robbery through cell phone tracking, which placed his device near the jewelry store at the time of the crime. He had also been briefly confronted by Dearborn police during the robbery attempt. Surveillance showed both suspects wearing synthetic masks.

Phone records revealed that Elayyan’s device traveled from Illinois to Dearborn and back on the day of the crime. GPS data showed his phone located near Mariam Jewelry during the robbery.

Traffic surveillance confirmed that Elayyan’s car made the trip from Illinois to Michigan on the same day. Video footage captured Elayyan and another man seated in the front seats of a black Mazda used in the attempted robbery.

After his arrest on September 20, authorities seized Elayyan’s phone, discovering that he had purchased the Mazda in July 2024. They also found searches such as:
– “Gold shops in Dearborn, Michigan”
– “Arab jewelry stores in Dearborn”
– “Mariam Jewelry”
These searches further implicated him in planning the robbery.

Incident details

Surveillance footage shows Elayyan and an accomplice exiting the Mazda and entering the store. One of them brandished a rifle and ordered everyone inside not to move or they would be shot. The second suspect jumped over the counter, sweeping jewelry from display cases into a gray bag.

The store owner retreated to the back, retrieved his firearm and returned to the front lobby, firing several warning shots into the ceiling to scare off the masked robbers.

One suspect grabbed a woman and used her as a human shield, threatening to hit her with a hammer, while the other used the rifle to break open the electronically locked front door. As soon as the door opened, the pair fled — leaving the bag of stolen jewelry behind.

Surveillance footage shows the two briefly considering re-entering the store to retrieve the bag but ultimately running back to the Mazda after a final warning shot was fired.

The vehicle was then seen leaving the parking lot, heading north on Schaefer Road. Within minutes, it was spotted by a Dearborn police patrol that attempted to pull it over using emergency lights and sirens. The driver refused to stop and drove the wrong way down Ford Road at high speed, prompting police to cancel the chase for safety reasons.

According to court documents, surveillance footage from nearby buildings showed Elayyan’s car parked near a mosque, approximately two miles from Mariam Jewelry, in the hours before the attempted robbery. The car was seen traveling back and forth between the mosque and the jewelry store several times before the crime occurred around 5:30 p.m.