A large group of masked thieves, potentially as many as 30 people, smashed their way into two jewelry stores in Artesia on Tuesday, shattering display cases and terrifying business owners just before closing time.
The robbery happened just before 6 p.m. on Pioneer Boulevard. Surveillance video shows suspects in dark hoodies carrying tools and breaking through glass displays, grabbing an untold number of valuables and fleeing within about 20 seconds.
On Thursday, the stores were boarded up with plywood covering the windows.
Business owners told KTLA’s Kimberly Cheng that the store has security measures, including the use of buzzers to let someone inside. But in this instance, the massive group rushed the doors and windows and smashed their way in.
One of the store owners says they’ve never seen anything like it.
“We were the first one in this plaza, we built this store actually and we’ve been here since January 1993 and it never happened to us,” said store owner Freeha. “It was very traumatizing for us and I don’t know how we are going to handle it.”
Witnesses said another jewelry store next to Freeha’s was broken into simultaneously, all within a few minutes.
As many as 30 thieves then jumped into several getaway vehicles, one witness told Cheng.
“Everybody’s scared for business here. Small businesses, some are scared,” the witness said.
The amount stolen is still unknown, but the damage was extensive, with glass doors, windows, and display cases shattered throughout the store, and an unknown amount of merchandise taken.
An office building upstairs also had a glass door shattered. Authorities are investigating. No arrests have been announced.
Owners say they are unsure just how much these burglaries are going to cost them out of pocket.