Thieves cut through candy store to steal $2M in jewelry store heist
In a heist reminiscent of "Ocean's Eleven," thieves broke into a Southern California candy store and then cut their way into a neighboring jewelry shop, stealing more than $2 million in cash and jewelry from the safe of the family business, according to ABC station KABC.
Security cameras showed one of the burglars crawling on his stomach through the candy store, according to the station. The suspect then cut through the wall to get into 5 Star Jewelry and Watch Repair on Cochran Street in Simi Valley. The burglars worked for more than three hours to cut through both concrete and a thick safe.
"This wasn't random," Ted Mackrel, owner of Dr. Conkey's Candy and Coffee told KABC. "They sawed a hole in our roof Sunday evening of Memorial Day weekend and managed to dodge all security systems."
Mackrel discovered the break-in around 6:30 a.m. Monday when staff reported something was wrong. "Our whole gift area was torn apart, and there was a big hole in the wall leading to the jewelry store."
The robbery hit hard for Jonathan Youssef and his 71-year-old father, who have owned 5 Star Jewelry for 25 years.
"They took everything we worked for," Youssef told KABC. "My dad's retirement savings, my kids' future -- we have to start all over again."
The thieves got away with about $2 million in cash and jewelry, according to Youssef.
What hurts most, Youssef says, is losing customers' family treasures -- that the shop was working on at the time of the break-in -- that cannot be replaced.
"I can't give back their grandma's diamonds or grandpa's watch," he said. "These were pieces that meant everything to our customers, who I consider friends."
Youseff said he doesn't think it was a simple smash-and-grab robbery. "These were not regular criminals," he said. "This was a planned, well-organized attack that required special skills and careful planning."
The Simi Valley Police Department said it is investigating the break-in. Meanwhile, the local business community has rallied around the victims, with a GoFundMe page established to help the jewelry store owners recover from their losses.
