A bystander caught the moment 11 thugs smashed their way into a Los Angeles-area jewelry store and made off with handfuls of loot.
According to a statement from the Manhattan Beach Police Department, the robbery took place around 7:00 pm at Pasha Fine Jewelry on Manhattan Beach Boulevard in wealthy, laid back beach community on the outskirts of Los Angeles.
Authorities referred to the crime as a ‘smash and grab’ robbery.
As the video begins, you can see at least two of the robbers rifling through the store’s window display. In the background, you can see the other robbers frantically running through the store, smashing display cases with hammers.
After 12 seconds, the robbers, clad in ski masks and predominantly wearing dark clothing, begin to make their exit one-by-one. The group sprints across the street and in to three waiting cars. One of the group appears to drop something and stops to pick it up before getting to his car.
The thugs then speed away heading southbound away from the scene.
The cars are a gold-colored Infiniti sedan, a black Volkswagen sedan and a dark-colored Toyota Camry.
The robbery occurred here at Pasha Fine Jewelry on Manhattan Beach Boulevard in the affluent
A witness who was waiting for a table at a nearby restaurant told The Daily Breeze: ‘We saw like eight people running out of the store with bags full of jewelry and then a man and woman chasing out after asking someone to call the police.’
The witness also said: ‘We saw like eight people running out of the store with bags full of jewelry and then a man and woman chasing out after asking someone to call the police. It was crazy because the sun was out and there were so many people nearby that saw it happen.’
Police confirmed that the thieves used hammers during the robbery. At least three of the group were armed with handguns but no shots was fired during the heist.
Detective Ian Mikelson of the Manhattan Beach Police Department confirmed to DailyMail.com that no arrests have been made in the case.
The detective said that value of the goods that were stolen is still being assessed by the store.
According to Mikelson, the smash-and-grab nature of the robbery fits a pattern of recent crimes in southern Los Angeles but it’s the first of its kind in Manhattan Beach.
As the video begins, members of the group can be seen rifling through the window display
Other members of the group can be seen frantically running through the store smashing display cases
The group makes their exit in almost single-file, sprinting across the street to waiting cars
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At least three of the suspects were armed with handguns but no shots were fired during the robbery
Detective Ian Mikelson of the Manhattan Beach Police Department confirmed to DailyMail.com that no arrests have been made in the case
Detective Mikelson said that value of the goods that were stolen is still being assessed by the store
A Toyota Camry used by the suspects in the course of the robbery
The other cars used in the getaway were a Infiniti sedan and a black Volkswagen sedan
Manhattan Beach Mayor Steve Napolitano said following the robbery: ‘This was not just a crime against a person or a business. This was a crime against our entire community. ‘
He continued: ‘An armed robbery in broad daylight in our downtown could have resulted in serious injury and death. To those who did it, please know MBPD is devoting every resource to catch, prosecute, and jail you.’
The mayor added: ‘We’re going to add additional patrols in our downtown and throughout our commercial and residential areas. I want to assure the community that public safety is always your City Council’s number one priority and the MBPD has our full support.’
Pasha Fine Jewelry operates two stores, one in Manhattan Beach and one in Santa Monica
According to the store’s website, Pasha Fine Jewelry specializes in wedding and engagement rings
Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon tweeted about the robbery Saturday saying: ‘These smash and grab burglaries are unacceptable and harm not only local businesses but the entire community
Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon tweeted about the robbery Saturday saying: ‘These smash and grab burglaries are unacceptable and harm not only local businesses but the entire community.’
Gascon in the midst of fighting a recall attempt amid allegations that he is soft on crime, reports the Los Angeles Times.
Manhattan Beach is more typically associated with celebrity residents and expensive real estate. Among those who call the area home are Vince Vaughn, Zooey Deschanel and ‘The Wolf of Street’ aka Jordan Belfort.
The average income of residents is $139,000. According to a Dataquick study, more homes were sold in the area with a price tag of over $1 million than any other city in California.
Pasha Fine Jewelry founder Albert Takalak started his business in Turkey in 1979. Takalak operates two stores in Los Angeles County. The other store is in Santa Monica. The Manhattan Beach location opened in 2011.
According to the store’s website, Pasha Fine Jewelry specializes in wedding and engagement rings.
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