Nearly 28 years after the assault in Polanco, an ex-convict known as 'El Kiur' recounted in a podcast how his gang stole actress Sabine Moussier's Cartier Tank watch. The 1998 incident left the actress wounded by shots near her lungs. Moussier has shared her account, highlighting the moment of distraction that enabled the attack.
The assault on Sabine Moussier took place on January 25, 1998, at the intersection of Gutemberg and Leibnitz streets, near Presidente Masaryk Avenue in Polanco, an upscale area of Mexico City. The actress, diagnosed with Lyme disease, was heading to a tanning session before a rehearsal for the play 'Snow White'. While driving her SUV, she got distracted bending down to pick up items that fell from her lap, breaking her habit of keeping distance from the vehicle ahead to escape potential threats.
According to Moussier's account in an interview with TvyNovelas magazine, she looked up and saw a gun tapping her window. 'They say they always catch you when you're distracted... Then they hit me with the gun and say: “your watch”', she recounted. She tried to flee upon seeing a gap, but the assailants fired twice: one bullet hit her shoulder, and the other passed between her legs. 'You just say: “Damn, they got me”, and of course, when you turn, everything is full of blood', she explained. She handed over the Cartier Tank watch and waited for the ambulance. Doctors reported the bullet lodged centimeters from her lungs.
'El Kiur', an ex-convict who spent 20 years in prison, described the incident in Osiel Rpower's podcast. Inspired by the 1979 film 'The Warriors', he joined a gang that stole luxury watches like Rolex and Cartier in exclusive areas such as Polanco. They received up to 100,000 pesos per piece, enough for parties and drugs. Their modus operandi involved spotters alerting the team: 'When we went for the watch, we agreed... It was just the watch, no distractions', he said. In the robbery, the boss pointed out: 'Look, there's the “tank” for you'. They tapped the window with the gun; when Moussier resisted, they shot. 'She got really scared. Imagine, inside the car the shot sounds twice as loud', he recounted. They fled with the watch, but the gang was arrested later; 'El Kiur' was identified in prison for this crime.
The Cartier Tank, launched in 1919, is iconic for its square shape and Roman numerals. Women's models feature automatic movement, finishes in gold, silver, and ruby accents, with current prices ranging from 75,000 to 1.15 million pesos.
