AFTER 25 years in Nelson Bay Wolfgang Rieger, the owner of Jewel of the Bay jewellery store, has been handed the most heartless of retirement gifts, losing between $35,000 and $40,000 in a robbery two weeks ago.
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Only days after Mr Rieger placed an ad in the Examiner informing the area he would be closing down and thanking customers for their patronage, Mr Rieger's store was broken into and ransacked by a theif. The robber smashed through two of the store's front windows to steal the goods, which included much of the store's showcase pieces at about 3am on Saturday, May 26. Police are investigating the incident and Chief Inspector Peter Fox said a witness had spotted a person wearing a grey hooded jumper fleeing the scene. Mr Rieger said it would have an "enormous" effect on his retirement plans.
"I'm completely devastated," he said.
"I've been in the Bay 25 years, four times I've been broken into and I've just had enough. At the moment every time I put things away at night I'm scared as hell.
"I look around and think is anyone watching me? I really don't feel safe anymore."
Anyone with information on the crime should contact Port Stephens police on 4983 7599 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
