A shocking video shows a huge group of masked thieves breaking into a jewelry store in San Ramon, California, and stealing about $1 million worth of jewelry. The robbery happened in broad daylight on Monday, September 22. San Ramon is a city about 34 miles east of San Francisco.
Surveillance video shows nearly 30 criminals running up to the store. They were wearing masks and carrying tools such as crowbars and pickaxes. Once inside, they smashed the glass display cases and grabbed as much jewelry as they could. At one point, a security system caused the doors to lock, but the thieves managed to rush out before being trapped.
Lieutenant Mike Pistello of the San Ramon Police Department explained that when the group entered, they quickly took control of the store. He said they grabbed whatever jewelry they could reach. The locking door was part of a new security system that had been added after a different robbery in 2023.
Police believe the crime was carefully planned in advance. The suspects came in six separate vehicles and parked them in the valet area, only about 100 feet away from the store entrance. Witnesses reported seeing about 30 people, while police confirmed there were at least 20 involved.
Authorities used a drone, purchased through a 2023 retail theft prevention grant, to record the scene from above. The drone captured video of the suspects running back to their vehicles and driving away. According to police, this gave them clear images of both the suspects and their getaway cars.
Soon after, police carried out raids in Oakland and Dublin, two nearby cities. They arrested seven people, including one minor, aged 17. The other suspects range in age from 18 to 31. All of them are from Oakland. Investigators also believe this group may be connected to other similar robberies across the Bay Area.
During the investigation, police recovered two guns and some jewelry that was either dropped or thrown away during the thieves’ escape. They also discovered that several of the vehicles used in the robbery had been reported stolen.
Lieutenant Pistello stressed that these suspects are experienced and have done this type of crime before. He added that robberies like this are very unusual for San Ramon, and police are working hard to follow up on every lead to catch more of the people involved.
