Two masked suspects turned a routine day at Value Pawn & Jewelry in Orange City into a chemical mess on May 14, allegedly smashing a display case and dousing three employees with bear mace when staff tried to intervene, according to police. Two customers inside the shop also reported being hit by the spray as the pair fled, and officers later canvassed the surrounding area for leads.
Orange City police told FOX 35 Orlando the suspects broke a display case before spraying employees who confronted them. The outlet reported that two customers were also affected and that investigators had not released suspect descriptions or surveillance images. As of that report, no arrests had been announced.
Bear Spray Showing Up in Smash-and-Grab Thefts
Industry data suggests mace-like sprays are turning up more often in jewelry and pawn-store robberies. The Jewelers’ Security Alliance reported incidents involving mace or bear spray climbed from three in 2024 to 14 in 2025, a fivefold jump, as reported by National Jeweler. “Jewelry can be replaced,” JSA executive vice president Scott Guginsky told the publication. “Human lives can’t.”
Local Shop and What Comes Next
Value Pawn & Jewelry confirms on its corporate site that it operates a store in Orange City, which lists the shop’s location and hours. The broader rise in quick-hit robberies involving chemical sprays has already prompted security advisories from industry groups for jewelers and pawn shops.
Locally, police are still working the Orange City case and are asking anyone with information to contact Orange City Police, according to FOX 35 Orlando.
