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Indian jewelry store in Berkeley robbed of $500k in goods
This incident follows a similar robbery at PNG Jewelers in Sunnyvale less than a month ago.
Reresentational image. / Pexels
Indian jewelry store, Bombay Jewelry Company in Berkeley, California, was looted on the afternoon of July.6.
According to media reports citing the Berkeley Police Department, the suspects forced their way into the store around 2:07 p.m. They used sledgehammers to break display cases and firearms to threaten and control the staff and customers to rob approximately US$500,000, worth of goods.
Surveillance footage from the Bombay Jewelry Company, reviewed by KTVU, shows one suspect initially approaching the store alone. He was not allowed entry due to wearing a hoodie but was buzzed in after removing it. He then held the door open for six masked, hooded, and gloved accomplices, who were armed with guns and sledgehammers.
The group arrived in two vehicles, described as black and silver sedans. The Berkeley Police Department is "actively investigating" the robbery, authorities confirmed on July.8.
Despite this incident, robberies in Berkeley have decreased significantly this year, from more than 170 last year to about 100 in 2024, according to The Berkeley Scanner. However, the incident follows a trend of robberies targeting Indian jewelry stores.
A similar case took place at PNG Jewelers in Sunnyvale less than a month ago, when around 20 robbers armed with hammers ransacked the store, smashing display cases and stealing merchandise.
In another case, Bhindi Jewelers in Newark was robbed on May 29, when more than a dozen thieves entered the shop. That was preceded by an attack on Nitin Jewelers in Sunnyvale. These robberies spanning from Newark to Sunnyvale, have resulted in the loss of millions of dollars in assets and created widespread panic among business owners and the local community.
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