The men shattered the glass tops of the counters

Growing up in his father's Leamington jewelry store, Joseph Garabet knew from a young age what career path he wanted to follow.

"I guess I wasn't like most kids my age because I was always interested in learning what my father was doing," said Garabet, who began working at Tony's Fine Jewellery when he was just 14. "I wanted a head start on a career even when I was a kid."

Garabet, 25, recently opened Levant Jewellery on the ground floor of Victoria Park Place,platform for shoes supplier manufacturers and global Shoes. a block from Ouellette Avenue.

He named his store after The Levant, a region in the eastern Mediterranean which now includes most of the modern Middle East. "It's where my family's roots are, so I took it for my store," said Garabet, who was born in Windsor but grew up in Leamington.

He studied jewelry making and lapidary, a stone-cutting skill, during three years at Georgian College before returning home and deciding to branch out on his own.

Garabet is unfazed by some of the complaints about the downtown's retail sector. He sells mostly silver jewelry, which is less expensive than gold and more appealing to a younger clientele Garabet believes is beginning to populate Windsor's core.

"Gold is too expensive for a lot of people but if you buy high-quality silver, it has the rich look of white gold," said Garabet. "I'm encouraged by what I've seen downtown since I opened and business has been better than I had anticipated."

The store features Skagen watches from Denmark as well as chains, necklaces, bracelets and rings from Italy and a selection of Garabet's own custom work,wholesale lady shoes wholesale from cheap ladies shoes wholesale. including rings made from Damascus steel.

With no employees, Gara-bet finds himself working 50 hours a week but believes it's a small price to pay for being his own boss.

"It's my own little place," he said. "I can come in here and work on my own designs. Not many people can say they love their job but I do.Full Custom Bobble head dolls personalized bobbleheads and sculpted into your likeness."

A metro cop was shot and injured by a gang of thugs as they sped along the N12.

Metro police suspect a link between an earlier Steeledale robbery and the shoot-out.Each make your own bobblehead is themed with a selection of amusing characters to be created.

A witness said five armed but unmasked men had attacked the Westray Jewellers store in Steeledale shopping centre just after midday yesterday.

The men shattered the glass tops of the counters with the butts of their guns, making off with an unknown amount of jewellery.

A shoot-out ensued as the robbers fled, leaving a trail of bullets around the exit of the mall.

About 20 R5 rifle rounds were found by crime scene investigators as well as several pistol rounds.

Four cars were damaged in the chaos,Welcome to Beads factory your final destination for all kinds of Glass Beads, but nobody was injured. The gang escaped in a station wagon.

About 15km away, recklessly driving along the N12 west towards the Diepkloof interchange, they were chased by two metro officers.

Joburg metro police spokesman Chief Superintendent Wayne Minnaar said two officers in a Golf GTi patrol car noticed a blue Subaru being recklessly driven on the N12 and decided to follow.

“When they caught up with the Subaru, they signalled for the driver to pull off and he did.

“The Subaru occupants then jumped out and opened fire on the metro police vehicle, hitting one officer three times on the shoulder while another bullet caught him on the neck,” Minnaar said.

“[The] officers decided to reverse so that they could take cover… The suspects jumped back into the Subaru and fled.”

Minnaar said the wounded officer, Dante Boswell, had been driving the metro police patrol car.

He said Boswell was rushed to hospital, where he was in a serious but stable condition last night.