New video shows wild ‘mob-style’ robbery at San Ramon jewelry store

SAN RAMON, Calif. (KRON) —  Arrests have been made following the robbery of a San Ramon Jewelry Store on Monday. Police say around 30 people were involved in the robbery of Heller Jewelers at the City Center Bishop Rach Shopping Center.

The suspects got away with $1 million worth of jewelry, according to investigators.

It was a scary scene at Heller Jewelers in San Ramon, when around 25 people in masks ran inside stealing jewelry while another six waited outside in getaway cars.

Police say, just before 2 p.m. Monday, around 25 people in masks ran inside Heller Jewelers. Some were holding guns, while others with pickaxes smashed into the jewelry cases. 

Some were holding guns, while others with pickaxes smashed into the jewelry cases. Ashley Moore with the San Ramon Police Department describes it as a mob-style takeover.

“Was like in the middle of the day, so I’m sure people were there eating lunch or with their families,” Moore said. “It’s scary, and it’s not something we ever want to see happen. In total, they were in and out in about 70 seconds. They knew what they were doing; this was an organized hit.”

Moore says the doors at Heller Jewelers automatically locked behind the group and that several shots were fired through the glass to get out. No one was injured.

The San Ramon Police Department has a team dedicated to organized retail theft. An SRPD sergeant was quickly tipped off about the robbery.

“Was listening over the radio and heard in Dublin that they were sending units to their jewelry stores that they had tipped off that someone may be coming,” Moore said. “We immediately got ours up and headed to City Center as well, which is how we got the drone footage that we did by them proactively trying to head out there and head it off.”

Moore says seven suspects are now in custody: six adults and one juvenile. The six cars believed to be used as getaway vehicles are also in police custody.

This is not the first time Heller Jewelers has been targeted.

“We had a situation a couple of years ago with Heller Jewelers,” Moore said. “They did end up getting everyone, so I have complete faith that they will this time also, but it’s still pretty fresh; they are in the middle of their work right now.”

Anyone with information about the robbery can contact SRPD to help with their investigation.