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Thief Grabs $100K in Gold Chains at Downtown L.A. Jewelry Store

Surveillance still of a man in black at a jewelry counter in downtown Los AngelesReading Time: 4 minutes
Surveillance still of a man in black at a jewelry counter in downtown Los Angeles

Image: NBC Los Angeles (source)

Another downtown Los Angeles jeweler just lost a small fortune in seconds to a jewelry store grab-and-run. NBC Los Angeles reports that a man walked into Del Amo Jewelry Inc., near the corner of 6th Street and Broadway, around 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 17, and made off with roughly $100,000 in chains.

Key Takeaways

  • About $100,000 in 14k Cuban chains was taken from Del Amo Jewelry in downtown L.A. around 11 a.m. Saturday.
  • The suspect asked to see chains, was shown several, then grabbed them and ran; employees were not hurt.
  • He remains at large, and police are asking anyone who recognizes him to come forward.

 

According to the owner, who gave only his first name, Frank, the man asked to see a 14-karat Cuban chain, and an employee behind the counter laid out a handful of options. Surveillance footage shows the man, dressed in all black, talking with two employees for a few minutes. Then he grabbed the chains and ran, and nobody could catch him. The employees weren’t hurt, but the suspect is still at large. Frank told the station he’d let it go if the merchandise came back, but otherwise he plans to pursue it. Police are asking anyone who recognizes the man to contact them.

This is the second downtown L.A. jewelry theft we’ve covered in a matter of days, after burglars hit Rafaela Jewelry on South Broadway earlier this month. The Del Amo case is a different animal, though: no break-in, no smashed glass, just a customer who looked like a buyer until he didn’t. Heavy gold chains are the perfect target for this since they’re compact, high in value, easy to stuff in a pocket, and easy to sell by weight. And because the thief never had to force anything, the whole loss came down to a few seconds of trust at the counter.

The fix is mostly procedure. Show one high-value chain at a time and don’t bring out the next until the first is back in your hand or on a tray on your side of the counter. When a customer wants to compare several pieces, keep a second staffer nearby and positioned toward the exit, and don’t let a friendly conversation pull everyone’s attention off the merchandise. Door buzzers and a clear line of sight to the entrance help, and so does making sure your cameras get a sharp face shot at the counter, not just a wide view of the floor.

Finally, have your footage-export routine ready before you need it. Getting a clear still out to police, your local jewelers’ network, and groups like JSA within hours is the best shot at recovering chains like these before they’re sold for scrap.

Source: NBC Los Angeles: Man swipes $100k worth of chains from downtown LA jewelry store

The post Thief Grabs $100K in Gold Chains at Downtown L.A. Jewelry Store appeared first on Southern Jewelry News.



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