Gunman attempts jewelry robbery at Waldorf-Astoria

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Gunman attempts jewelry robbery at Waldorf-Astoria

November 17, 2008

New York--Uncharacteristic pandemonium broke out in the lobby of New York's iconic Waldorf-Astoria on Saturday, when an armed gunman attempted to rob the jewelry store located in the upscale hotel's lobby.

According to news reports, at about 2:30 p.m., 20-year-old Rafael Ravinovich, of Highland Park, N.J., burst into Cellini Jewelers, announced he was robbing the store and began smashing display cases with the butt of his gun.

Shots were fired as the store security guard, a retired police detective, tackled the gunman and another store employee grabbed the robber as he tried to flee, sending hotel guests screaming and running for cover behind the hotel's marble pillars.

The store employee, later joined by uniformed security officials, managed to restrain Ravinovich until police took him into custody.

He was charged with attempted murder, assault, robbery and grand larceny.

The security guard, identified as 54-year-old Gregory J. Boyle, was shot once under the left armpit and taken to Bellevue Hospital Center.

His injury was not life-threatening.

No other injuries were reported.

Police said they recovered two handguns at the scene and that the gunman fired less than six shots total.

Cellini Jewelers is located just past the hotel's check-in counter, about 50 feet from the gold clock tower in the center of the Waldorf-Astoria lobby. Witnesses told The New York Times that the lobby was crowded at the time of the attempted robbery.

Andrew Herald, in town from England for a wedding, told the Times that he was in the hotel bar, just steps from the jewelry store, when he heard the shots.

"Everybody sort of ducked and got behind the marble pillars," he said.

Later, after uniformed officers rushed in, witnesses reported seeing a man being carried out on a stretcher, a large bandage across his chest.

Moments later, police brought out Ravinovich in handcuffs.

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