A Northern California jewelry store that has been robbed twice since 2023 has turned to innovative methods to stop, deter and ultimately capture a series of armed bandits.
Between 20 and 25 masked suspects stormed into Heller Jewelers in San Ramon on Monday around 1:50 p.m. and began smashing display cases, according to the San Ramon Police Department.
Surveillance footage obtained by ABC News showed suspects using crowbars to break glass and pilfer an estimated $1 million in loot, while others entered the store with handguns.
Before the suspects could exit, however, the shop’s security measures activated and the store’s door closed, momentarily trapping the mob.
San Ramon police told a local news station that the closed door would have required a security guard to open.
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Cellphone footage shows at least one suspect opening fire on the security door. The suspects eventually broke through and fled to awaiting vehicles in the mall’s valet parking section.
San Ramon police initially chased some of the suspected vehicles but stopped the pursuit “due to the inherent danger to the public.”
Police helicopters and drones, however, continued tracking a car that went through Contra Costa County and into Alameda County.
Seven unidentified suspects have been arrested in two locations in Oakland and Dublin. They range in age from 17 to 31, according to San Ramon police, which did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
A store manager for Heller Jewelry declined to comment on the heists.
Read more: 7 charged after $1-million jewelry heist in Glendale, D.A. says
The store has been closed since Monday and plans to reopen Saturday, according to a Facebook post.
“Heller Jewelers has been a part of the community for nearly 30 years, and we’ve always believed in the strength of the relationship we’ve built with you,” the store noted in a message. “Your support in the days since means more to us than we can express.”
Heller was previously hit on St. Patrick’s Day in 2023. In that robbery, five men, including one with a firearm, burst into the store and stole more than $1.1 million in merchandise.
A Rolex watch with a tracking device was among the loot.
Detectives found and arrested one suspect, which led them to the other four.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
