TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – A big bust has happened for federal law enforcement as they find a dangerous armed robber in the Tampa Bay area.

Pedro Davila appeared before a judge this morning a long way from the scary jewelry heist he’s accused of pulling in New York City.

It’s the middle of the day in a part of Manhattan known as the Diamond District. The door to Avianne & Company opens. The jewelry store caters to high-end clientele and celebrities.

A sharply dressed man sits across the clerk wanting to buy something nice. Instead, this man does something bad and pulls out a gun.

“They threatened us. They threatened our lives,” says an anonymous victim on Aug. 25.

Employees are duct-taped and zip-tied, forced to the ground as three armed robbers empty the cases. They leave with an estimated $4 million in precious stones and metals. Local jewelers take notice and take action.

“We actually hired armed security just in case,” said Lee Washington.

Three weeks later Pedro Davila is picked up in Florida by Pasco County deputies, a relief for law enforcement and New Yorkers.

“You’re never playing when you have guns. Never. Your life is on the line,” Washington said.

Davila is spending the night in the Pinellas County Jail. Authorities are still looking for an accomplice, 39-year-old Jaysean Sutton.

LATEST STORIES: