SAN RAMON, Calif. (KGO) — Three of the seven suspects arrested in the San Ramon jewelry heist are facing serious felony charges, the Contra Costa District Attorney’s office announced.
The three charged, so far, are a 31-year-old and 19-year-old from San Francisco, along with a 27-year-old from Vallejo.
“Our communities deserve safety from conduct like the audacious daylight robbery in San Ramon,” said Contra Costa District Attorney Diana Becton. “Thanks to the excellent investigative work by the San Ramon Police Department, these defendants will face significant punishment for the offenses they committed.”
Each of the three men charged are facing 13 counts of second-degree robbery.
Prosecutors are adding conspiracy charges, alleging that the suspects carried out a series of criminal acts including stealing cars, forcibly entering the store, smashing display cases, and even firing a weapon to escape when the front glass door locked.
“What prosecutors are using the conspiracy laws for is they want the people that are organizing this, that are in the getaway car, that are the planners to face the same sanctions as the people that are carrying it out in the stores,” explained former Santa Clara County DA Steven Clark.
“What you’re seeing now is prosecutors trying to educate the judges and saying, look, these are no longer just theft crimes.”
Under Proposition 36 just passed at the end of 2024, the suspects could also face enhanced penalties. The voter-approved measure allows for tougher sentencing for repeat offenders who commit serious or violent felonies. The value of stolen merchandise also totaled more than a million dollars.
“Prop 36 is designed for this kind of activity,” said Clark. “They’re not just impulsive kids committing theft. I think that’s the education that prosecutors are sending to the court system and also to the community. And they’re listening to community members saying, look, this has got to stop.”
ABC7 News investigated the suspects’ histories by combing through court and jail records. The 27-year-old suspect had previous cases in Solano and Alameda County. In Alameda County, court records revealed he had faced at least two second-degree robberies in the last five years, but was never convicted for them.
“What you’re seeing is the actual record of this individual that they pled to a lesser charge, and the robbery charge was dismissed,” said Clark.
The suspect was also out on probation while committing several crimes, according to those records. Clark believes there is now a shift in how seriously retail crimes are being taken.
“It is such a pervasive problem, and it’s not a good look for the state of California to have these kinds of videos all over the country showing rampant retail theft,” said Clark.
Article provided by ABC News7- Click HERE to view article.
If you have any information regarding this incident or information on these criminals, please contact the Jewelers’ Security Alliance at jsa2@jewelerssecurity.org or 212-687-0328.