‘Isn’t the first time store was targeted’: Fresno jewelry store owners speak out

FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) — At least three suspects are wanted after using a car to ram into a family-owned jewelry store near Cedar and Herndon Avenues, Fresno police say.

Exclusive surveillance video shows the suspects forcefully backing into the front of the business at least twice. 

Nader Hussein and Mohammad Younes’ families own Alquds Jewelry. Nader said he was inside with other people, including two kids, during the attempted robbery.

“We saw the car going in reverse and we thought they were just trying to park normally because they messed up, but they went, like, forward again and drive and they reversed fully in the back and they hit the glass in the door and we just all got scared,” Nader Hussein said.

Nader’s younger brother was right next to the glass as the car attempted to drive in.  

“I went to grab my brother from the chair. He was sitting in the front. I took him inside and we just called the police,” Hussein said.

Mohammad tells us he was at home when he found out his family’s store was possibly robbed.

“I hear my dad and my mom screaming. I’m like, what’s going on? They said the store got robbed. I jumped out, sprinted out the door. I wasn’t even wearing my shoes correctly,” Mohammad Younes said.

As the suspects tried to get away, an employee at a nearby business fired a gun at least once at the suspects’ getaway cars. Fresno Police said right now, that man is not facing charges.

“Our detectives will be interviewing that civilian to see if there’s any crimes or any statutes that he may have violated,” Fresno Police Department’s Henry Garcia said.

Mohammad said this isn’t the first time their store was targeted by robbers.

In Friday’s attempt, he said the suspects used at least two getaway cars and left the white Lexus SUV behind.

“One being a white BMW, a four series. It has new plates on it. And the one being a red four-door sedan,” Younes said.

Fresno Police say their robbery detectives believe this attempted robbery is tied to a series of crimes across California.

“They do believe that this is possibly involved with or the suspects are possibly involved with other robberies throughout the state,” Garcia said.