A group of criminals robbed a jewelry store in a Bucaramanga shopping center on November 29, 2025, leading to a shootout that killed a police officer and one thief. Security cameras captured the moment the suspects entered pretending to be customers before intimidating the staff. Authorities are offering a reward for information on the fugitives.
On Saturday, November 29, 2025, several suspects carried out a planned robbery at a prominent jewelry store in Bucaramanga's Cuarta Etapa shopping center. Security camera footage shows a man entering while pretending to be on a phone call, accompanied by a woman in sanitary uniform who distracted a saleswoman. Soon after, a second individual entered with a bag of food to block the main door, followed by a third who revealed firearms and subdued the employees.
As they emptied the display cases, a fourth accomplice watched from outside. A store guard activated the alarm and lowered the security shutter from the rear exit, trapping two thieves inside the premises with a worker they attempted to use as a hostage. This sparked a shootout with at least 20 shots, causing panic among shopping center visitors.
Intendente Fredy Leal, an off-duty police officer present at the scene, was fatally wounded while intervening. One of the assailants, a 63-year-old man, was killed in the gunfire exchange. Five criminals were captured, but at least six remain at large.
The Bucaramanga Mayor's Office and Santander Governorship announced a 100 million peso reward to locate the accomplices waiting with motorcycles and vehicles for the getaway. Authorities have identified the involved parties through analysis of internal and external cameras, and the Judicial Police is reconstructing the events to complete the arrests. This minutes-long incident underscores the swift security response, though with tragic outcomes.