Four suspects who allegedly carried out a robberies and burglaries at high-end jewelry stores in at least four counties have been arrested and charged in San Diego.
The crimes reportedly took place in April and May at stores in San Diego, Orange, Riverside, and Kern counties. The California Attorney General’s office said there were 21 separate thefts, most of which were in San Diego.
“These are not victimless crimes,” AG Rob Bonta said. “These thefts hurt businesses, small and large alike, and they pose a danger to workers and to the public.”
A statement from the office said many of the thefts were smash-and-grabs, or else the thieves would often pose as customers, ask to see specific pieces of jewelry, then grab the items and run. Some stores were burglarized after hours.
Stores that were hit include Banter, KAY Jewelers, Zales, Marc Jacobs and JCPenney, among others. The suspects reportedly stole more than $1.5 million in total.
Bonta said the four suspects arrested this week are believed to all the people involved in this particular operation.
Charges filed this week include felony counts of organized retail theft, robbery, burglary, and grand theft.
The case was investigated jointly by the San Diego Police Department, Carlsbad Police Department, Escondido Police Department, El Cajon Police Department, National City Police Department, Chula Vista Police Department, Bakersfield Police Department, Riverside County Sheriff’s Department and California Department of Justice Organized Retail Crime Task Force.
City News Service contributed to this report.
