Video captures Fairfield jewelry store smash-and-grab
FAIRFIELD — Cell phone video captured a group of thieves breaking the windows and taking off with high-priced items from a jewelry store in Fairfield on Wednesday.
The suspects were wearing hoodies, and another was also wearing what appears to be an orange safety vest.
It happened at Sam's Jewelers in the Solano Town Center. The store owner said six men used hammers to break the glass, and more than 30 percent of his merchandise was stolen, including some of his highest-priced pieces.
Jewelers' Security Alliance is a nonprofit trade association that helps identify jewelry store criminal trends across the country. The 140-year-old organization reports jewelry store crime is at an all time high, increasing 31% in 2022, the most recent year statistics are available.
The owner of Sam's Jeweler said his jeweler's block insurance coverage will help recoup some of his losses but not all.
"There was just glass everywhere and it scared me, and then it was that feeling, 'Are they still in here?' " said Tenaya Walker who was inside the mall during the robbery.
Walker took photos showing the damage left behind.
"You know it broke my heart," she said.
This latest smash and grab comes as California recently awarded $225 million in grants to law enforcement agencies across the state to try and prevent organized retail crime.
Fairfield police say they are not releasing any information about this case right now. No employees or bystanders were hurt.
