Suspects broke into Meza’s Jewelry in California and disabled a security system before using power tools to enter safes. The criminals gained access to the store by breaking through the building’s roof and crawling through the ceiling. The suspects were seen leaving the store at 5.40 am and are believed to have spent the entire night in the store.
Jewellery valued at around $USD1.5 million ($AUD2.3 million) was stolen during the siege. Owner Rosanna Meza told local media that it was a devastating loss for a family-owned business.
"It was our life and our dreams. They took everything from us. My brother called me, I was at my house still, and he called me, and when he told me, everything went blank,” Meza told CBS News.
"These were professionals. They cut the internet, the security alarm, and the cameras. We don't have anything."
This is the latest in a series of raids on US jewellery stores involving the breach of walls or roofs, and research by the Jewellers Security Alliance suggested that there were 53 incidents in 2024, more than doubling the previous year. Another store was robbed using the same method in May, with more than $AUD3 million in jewellery stolen. Four suspects were arrested just weeks after that incident.
In recent weeks, a criminal gang used a blowtorch to cut through the walls of a building used by multiple jewellers. Another incident involving a roof breach was reported in Glendale in May.
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