POLICE SEEK PUBLIC’S HELP TO FIND 2 THIEVES
Men thought to have targeted 4 jewelers in San Diego County
Police are asking for the public’s help to identify two men believed to have stolen jewelry from four stores in separate heists since October, sometimes smashing displays with hammers and sometimes reaching into open cases to grab items.
Three of the four incidents occurred between 6:25 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. One happened about two hours earlier. In all the thefts, the men made off with gold jewelry.
The thefts were reported in San Diego, Carlsbad and La Mesa, with the first one reported on Oct. 18 around 6:25 p.m. at the Kay Jewelers on Camino del Rio North in San Diego.
In that incident, one of the men acted as a lookout and left the store before a second man smashed a glass display case with a hammer and stole several gold chains. The two were last seen running to a parking lot.
About a month later, just after 6:45 p.m. on Nov. 16, two men entered the Daniel’s Jewelers on Mira Mesa Boulevard in San Diego. One of the men acted as a lookout while the second smashed the display case with a hammer. He took several gold chains before leaving the store.
The third heist occurred just before 4:45 p.m. on Nov. 29 at the Daniel’s Jewelers in
Grossmont Center in La Mesa. Two men distracted the clerk and one of the men reached into an open display case and took several gold chains.
In the fourth heist, on Dec. 7 at the Kay Jewelers at the Carlsbad Premium Outlets, one man entered the store and used a hammer to break a display case just before 6:45 p.m. A second man entered the store and stole several pieces of gold jewelry and stashed them inside a bag.
Police Lt. Julie Epperson declined to how much the stolen jewelry was worth, but said it was a “substantial loss for the businesses.”
Police said both suspects are Black men between ages 20 and 30. The first man is around 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighing 200 pounds. The second man is about 6 feet tall and weighing about 210 to 230 pounds. He has tattoos on his left or right arm. Police have released several photos of the two men in various clothes.
A video showing three of the incidents also has been released. The YouTube video can be seen at https:// youtu.be/Zp6AyfMdNKE.
Anyone with information about the men was asked to contact San Diego County Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477. A reward of up to $1,000 is being offered to anyone with information that leads to an arrest in the case. To find out how to leave an anonymous tip, visit the Crime Stoppers website at sdcrimestoppers.org.