Masked Men Rob San Pablo Jewelry Store
SAN PABLO (CBS 5) -- Armed thieves stole hundreds of thousands of dollars in jewelry from a San Pablo store Thursday morning. Surveillance video captured the robbery, which took less than 90 seconds.
"They knew exactly what they wanted to do," said Lt. Jeff Palmieri of San Pablo Police.
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According to authorities, the robbery took place around 11:15 a.m. Thursday at H. Bee Jewelry on San Pablo Dam Road.
Surveillance video shows four masked men wearing hoods and dark clothing storming the store. A customer hits the floor as the men pull out weapons. The robbers then pushed the store owners to the back of the store.
Using hammers, the masked men broke open the glass display cases and stuffed $400,000 worth of jewelry into duffel bags before taking off.
"A customer ran inside the store and told us to lock the doors, that the jewelry store was being robbed," said Tina Phan at Gina Beauty Hair and Wigs.
Clerks at the nearby beauty supply house watched the robbers speed away in a tan four-door vehicle. "I just saw the car drive, pass by. It was quick," Phan said.
"It was probably something that they've done before. It looks to me like they were able to get in and out." Palmieri said.
The store owner, too traumatized to talk on camera, told CBS 5 he was barely standing after what happened.
According to police, these kinds of burglaries have become more frequent. Since July, similar jewelry store robberies have taken place in Oakland, Berkeley and Newark.
No one suffered injuries in the robbery.
A description of the robbery suspects has not been released. Anyone with information is asked to contact the San Pablo Police.
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