Friday, January 12th, 2018 — Spring, in the form of France’s traditional seasonal spike in high-profile jewel thefts, arrived a little early at cocktail hour in Paris’ recently-renovated Ritz hotel last night, as at least five axe-and-pistol-slinging robbers mounted a blitzkrieg raid on the storied hotel and, after smashing much display-case glass and reportedly firing off a few rounds to create the obligatory cover of havoc, made off with an estimated $5.4 million in jewels from a shop within the hotel. In their equally rash getaway, on scooters, three of the gang were captured by a police patrol. Two managed to escape, according to the gendarmerie, with the loot.