Jewelry store owners unsatisfied with Paterson Police Department's response to $1.5 million gold heist
PATERSON, N.J. -- Exclusive video shows a group of burglars taking multiple cases of gold jewelry from a store in Paterson, New Jersey.
The shop's longtime owners said they no longer feel safe in the store and that police aren't doing enough to help.
Surveillance video shows the gates lifted at Ramadan Jewelry Company on Getty Avenue at around 4:30 a.m. on May 17.
One person covered a Ring camera while another carefully broke the glass of the front door, then masked men wearing construction vests and safari hats rushed in and ransacked the place.
"They took all my rings," said manager Nancy Ramadan. "And then they took everything that was in here. It was heavier sets."
Ramadan said they got away with more than $1.5 million worth of gold.
"We feel violated. They came to our home and they stole our goods, this hard earned money," said Sanan Ranadan, an employee.
The family lives nearby and said they heard the store's alarm go off.
"The entire neighborhood heard the sirens, the alarms, and everyone came out," said Sanan Ramadan. "They saw a U-Haul truck and people wearing normal clothes and they expected that people were moving!?"
Ramadan claims the truck got away while they were waiting for police. She claims police viewed surveillance video, but did not collect any evidence.
"We are doing more investigating than the cops," said Ramadan.
Police recovered one stolen car connected to the case, but the detective assigned to the case hasn't responded to calls or text messages since Friday, according to Ramadan.
"There should be a police car over here or walking the way they do on Main Street, all the time," said Ramadan. "We don't go out on walks at night anymore because it's scary."
A Paterson Police spokesperson said, in part, "Officers reviewed the video at the scene and continue to pursue investigative leads. The department has reviewed the police response and has found it to be appropriate."
The spokesperson added the department, which was recently taken over by the state, is committed to rebuilding public trust and maintaining a focus on customer service.