Rather than alert authorities, nearby workers who witnessed the attempted robbery then looted the jewels themselves. Approximately 90% of the stolen valuables were ultimately recovered. Kapatos was identified as a suspect by the New York City Police Department (NYPD) shortly after the failed robbery.
When the attempted theft didn't succeed, nearby workers who witnessed the incident decided to take matters into their own hands and stole the jewels themselves. This led to about 90% of the stolen valuables being recovered, which is an important context for understanding what happened next. Kapatos was identified as a suspect by the NYPD shortly after the failed robbery.