Over a dozen masked thieves stormed into a jewellery store in Modesto, California, on Sunday evening. The thieves were caught on camera ramming a car through the front entrance before running into Sai Jewellers on Standiford Avenue.
The group made off with a large quantity of jewellery shortly before 6 p.m. The incident, which occurred shortly before 6 p.m., is now at the centre of a police investigation that has already led to the arrest of four men.
The surveillance video captured the dramatic scene as multiple vehicles pulled up outside the store. After the first car smashed through the doors, several individuals rushed into the store and grabbed as much as they could before fleeing the establishment. They were all covered head-to-toe in black attire comprised of hoodies, gloves, and masks.
Notably, one of the thieves, who appeared to be in charge, was yelling to his accomplice to make haste before they drove away in their separate vehicles. The initial car used to ram into the store was abandoned.
According to reports, prior to the robbery call, Modesto police had been tracking a stolen car flagged by a license plate reader earlier in the day. Investigators soon connected that vehicle to the jewellery heist. When officers located the car, they also found items consistent with what had been used during the break-in at Sai Jewellers and apprehended individuals involved in the robbery.
The four men were identified as 19-year-old Nasir Blocker and 24-year-old Anton Crawford, both from Oakland; 24-year-old Gangster Lawson from El Cerrito; and 21-year-old Nehemiah Miller of Valley Springs. All are now facing charges, including robbery, vehicle theft, and conspiracy.
According to a report, Crawford, Lawson, and Miller each have a $1 million bond set, while Blocker has a $2 million bond set. Police continue to investigate the incident as they try to identify the other thieves.