In the most recent heinous smash-and-grab heist recorded in the Bay Area, a group of around twenty robbers stormed a jewelry store in California and almost completely ransacked the establishment.
At 12:26 p.m. on Wednesday, shocking CCTV footage captured the moment when robbers entered the PNG Jewelers USA store in Sunnyvale using hammers.
Over twenty shoplifters burst the store’s glass doors, letting in a swarm of crooks who rob the display cases.
In less than three minutes, the store was picked over like locusts. An employee emerged from a back room; her jaw dropped as she saw the devastation.
According to the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety, the police arrived at the location around one hour after the robbery and apprehended five suspects after spotting two getaway vehicles that were still in the vicinity.
The police stated that one car escaped. The other vehicle was pursued, but the authorities said that while being chased, the criminals tossed the stolen jewels from the car.
The five criminals got out of the vehicle and ran across a highway on foot. The authorities apprehended all five.
The police want Latu Tonga, Esafe Tavake, Ahomana Ofa, Leaaetoa Kilifi, and Lavakeiaho Afuhia.
Armed robbery, resisting arrest, felony vehicle evasion, burglary, vandalism, possession of burglary tools, and outstanding warrants were among the charges against the five individuals who were detained and brought into Santa Clara County Jail.
The cops were able to retrieve a portion of the stolen jewelry. At this time, the value of the stolen jewelry is not known.
According to the police, the incident did not result in any injuries to the victims.
The motive for this heist is unclear, but authorities are trying to connect the dots with the May heist of another jewelry store in Sunnyvale. That, too, was a robbery by a large smash-and-grab mob.