Michael James Alexander Perez.

New video shows dramatic moments of attempted armed robbery inside Myrtle Beach jewelry store

by Crime NewsCrime SuspectsCrime VideosCrimes

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – March 8, 2024 – New surveillance video obtained by News13 shows the dramatic moments of an attempted armed robbery inside a Myrtle Beach jewelry store in February 2023.

Michael James Alexander Perez – J. Reuben Long Detention Center

Michael James Alexander Perez, 34, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to armed robbery and was sentenced to 13 years in prison, according to the 15th Circuit Solicitor’s Office. He must serve 85% of his sentence before being eligible for supervised release.

Perez entered a jewelry store and presented a loaded pistol at the staff and demanded they open their Rolex case.

“It was fast, I saw a guy on the security camera coming through the front door literally with a gun out in his hand,” owner Jacob Medina said.

Medina said it only took about 20 seconds until Perez was on top of him. And with his gun out, he said defending himself was his first instinct.

“He had his gun out when he walked in and he loaded it, racked around as he was coming through the front door,” Medina said. “And I believe he said ‘get the Rolexes out’ or something to that effect.”

Medina said he shot six times, hitting Perez twice in the torso, once in each wrist and one that went through the side of his face. He said Perez shot about four times, thankfully missing him and other employees.

“You don’t even have time to think,” Medina said. “I just, it was a fight-or-flight response and obviously I chose to fight.”

Perez then got on a motorcycle driven by someone else after he was shot and was taken to South Strand Hospital before being taken in an ambulance to Grand Strand Regional Medical Center, according to a report obtained by News13. The person who dropped him off left.

Myrtle Beach police told News13 on Wednesday that it is still an active investigation to identify the motorcycle driver.

15th Circuit Solicitor Jimmy Richardson said police reports showed no co-defendants.

“In this case, there was only one,” he said. “That could’ve been for a number of reasons. Maybe they couldn’t tie the motorcyclist back to the robbery.”

Click here to view video of the crime and the article written by Caleb McCusker and Jackie LiBrizzi, which is posted above.

James Margulis

WANTED: Police searching for James Margulis accused of stealing from multiple Colorado jewelry stores

by Crime NewsCrime SuspectsCrime VideosCrimes

James Margulis

LONGMONT, COLORADO. James Margulis is accused of stealing from at least eight jewelry stores in two months. Police up and down the Front Range are looking for 56-year-old James Margulis. He’s wanted by several police departments, accused of stealing from at least eight jewelry stores in two months.�

One victim is warning other business owners to be on the lookout. Rudy Rodriguez is co-owner of a jewelry store in Longmont. He used to put the best, most expensive jewelry out on the floor. “Now, everything stays in the safe,” Rodriguez said. “You never know who’s coming through the door, because this guy that came through the door, he was nice looking and dressed well.”

Security video from Jan. 17 shows Rodriguez working behind the counter when a man in a tan jacket walks in. “I was going to show him one, and then he says ‘What about those?'” Rodriguez said. “I looked down and that’s when he took them and ran.”

The man stole a fistful of gold chains worth about $10,000. Rodriguez said he chased after the suspect, but he got away. “He stole from me,” Rodriguez said. “That’s why I pursued him, because it’s like coming into my house. This is our house. I was this close to grabbing that dude.”

Court documents show the suspect has a pattern. He acts like a typical customer coming in during business hours to shop for a family member. Sometimes it’s his anniversary and other times it’s a birthday or graduation. According to investigators, when he sees an opportunity to grab and run, he goes for it.

Court documents show Margulis has at least four warrants for his arrest. Two warrants are out of Boulder County, one out of Jefferson County, and another out of Larimer County. Margulis is accused of stealing from at least eight jewelry stores between Dec. 13 and Jan. 25.�

“It’s mind-boggling, and it’s upsetting,” Rodriguez said. “Do any of these other jewelry stores that he hasn’t walked into, do they know that’s his MO? Do they even know?”

Rodriguez has made some changes to his store. He’s added new security, such as motion sensor cameras. He’s also keeping more of their jewelry in the safe. “And if we show any of our gold, we show it over here,” Rodriguez said, pointing to the back of the store. Margulis has been convicted of several thefts in the past. In addition to his new warrants, documents show he’s also wanted for violating parole.

Watch a news clip below to see Margulis commit a theft:

Click here to read the original source for this posting above, written by Brianna Clark.

If you have any information regarding the where abouts of this individual, please contact the Jewelers’ Security Alliance at� jsa2@jewelerssecurity.org� or 212-687-0328.

diamonds

Police searching for man identified and accused of stealing from multiple Colorado jewelry stores

by Crime NewsCrime SuspectsCrime VideosCrimes

Longmont, CO – February 25, 2024 – Police up and down the Front Range are looking for 56-year-old James Margulis. He�s wanted by several police departments, accused of stealing from at least eight jewelry stores in two months. One victim is warning other business owners to be on the lookout.

Rudy Rodriguez is co-owner of a jewelry store in Longmont. He used to put the best, most expensive jewelry out on the floor. “Now, everything stays in the safe,” Rodriguez said. “You never know who’s coming through the door, because this guy that came through the door, he was nice looking and dressed well.”

Security video from Jan. 17 shows Rodriguez working behind the counter when a man in a tan jacket walks in. “I was going to show him one, and then he says ‘What about those?'” Rodriguez said. “I looked down and that’s when he took them and ran.”

The man stole a fistful of gold chains worth about $10,000. Rodriguez said he chased after the suspect, but he got away. “He stole from me,” Rodriguez said. “That’s why I pursued him, because it’s like coming into my house. This is our house. I was this close to grabbing that dude.”

Court documents show the suspect has a pattern. He acts like a typical customer coming in during business hours to shop for a family member. Sometimes it’s his anniversary and other times it’s a birthday or graduation. According to investigators, when he sees an opportunity to grab and run, he goes for it.

Court documents show Margulis has at least four warrants for his arrest. Two warrants are out of Boulder County, one out of Jefferson County, and another out of Larimer County. Margulis is accused of stealing from at least eight jewelry stores between Dec. 13 and Jan. 25. 

“It’s mind-boggling, and it’s upsetting,” Rodriguez said. “Do any of these other jewelry stores that he hasn’t walked into, do they know that’s his MO? Do they even know?”

Rodriguez has made some changes to his store. He�s added new security, such as motion sensor cameras. He�s also keeping more of their jewelry in the safe. “And if we show any of our gold, we show it over here,” Rodriguez said, pointing to the back of the store.

Margulis has been convicted of several thefts in the past. In addition to his new warrants, documents show he’s also wanted for violating parole.

Click here to read the original, unrevised article written by Brianna Clark.

Watch the video below to learn more:

If you have any information regarding these subjects, please contact the Jewelers’ Security Alliance at jsa2@jewelerssecurity.org or 212-687-0328.

Hammer

Riverside, California smash-and-grab robbers steal thousands in jewelry as owner opens fire

by Crime NewsCrime Videos

RIVERSIDE, Calif. – February 19, 2024 – Two robbers got away with thousands of dollars in jewelry in a brazen smash-and-grab even as the Riverside store’s owner chased them off with gunfire.

The incident was captured on surveillance video Saturday morning..

The two masked subjects are seen casually walking into the jewelry store, apparently getting in through a locked door that didn’t fully close after the last person entered. They immediately start smashing glass display cabinets with hammers.

One shocked customer tries to escape through the front door but can’t get it open, then she scrambles past the subjects to exit out the back door.

Moments later the store’s owner opens fire at the subjects, attempting to scare them off but not directly strike them. One shot struck the ground and another smashed the store’s window as the startled subject falls to the ground on his way out.

“He shot once at the ground. Immediately as he shot at the ground, they ran,” said Michelangelo Torchia, the owner’s son. “One of the guys, you’ll see in the surveillance video, he fell to the floor, scared. grabbed his hammer because he dropped his hammer and one of our bracelets he was stealing.”

The owners, in business since 1989, say they are shaken by the robbery but grateful no one was hurt.

Riverside police are actively working leads in the case and are attempting to identify the robbers. A spokesperson for the department said it does not appear the store owner acted criminally when firing at the robbers.

Click here to learn more and read the source of this posting written by Leanne Suter and Rob McMillan

If you have any information regarding these subjects, please contact the Jewelers’ Security Alliance at jsa2@jewelerssecurity.org or 212-687-0328.

Burglar leaving crime scene.

Burglar smashes display cases at jewelry store in swift break-in: VIDEO

by Crime Videos

CHICAGO, IL – January 21, 2024 – A Northwest Side jewelry store was broken into early Saturday, Chicago police said. The crime was caught on surveillance video.

The burglary took place just after 1 a.m. Saturday. The subject broke through the front door of the business before going directly to the display cases, smashing through them with a hammer before getting away with tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of jewelry.

“I think he was ready,” said Wioletta Anikiej, Vice President at the jewelry business that was targeted. “He knows about the entire store.” You give your whole heart, and someone stole your stuff. It’s very heartbreaking” said Wioletta Anikiej, store owner

The burglary happened within seconds. The seemingly calculated crime left shattered glass throughout the floor and the store owners’ decades of hard work reduced to broken dreams within seconds.

“His first idea was straight to the watches,” Anikiej said. “He’s been in this store, definitely.”

Security video showed a masked subject break into the business. He was also seen rushing to and smashing through several display cases and loading up a black bag with expensive watches.

Police arrived to the scene roughly 30 minutes after the robbery.

The display cases were left empty following the most recent break-in, and the owners said similar incidents have happened before.

“We try and work so hard here, right? Seven days a week,” Anikiej said. “You give your whole heart, and someone stole your stuff. It’s very heartbreaking.”

The burglar left the store the same way he came in. “It’s hard to say why people are doing this,” Anikiej said. “We just questioned ourselves all day, and it’s not our first time we’ve gotten robbed. For the last six years, that’s already four times, so we just start asking ourselves should we continue this business.”

After he exited back through the front door, police said the subject ran north. Area 5 detectives continue to investigate. No further information was immediately available.”

Click here to view video footage and read the source for this post, written by Tre Ward.

If you have any information regarding this subject, please contact the Jewelers’ Security Alliance at jsa2@jewelerssecurity.org or 212-687-0328.

police tape

Exclusive: Queens, NY jewelry store owner recovering after being shot during violent robbery describes events.

by Crime VideosUncategorized

QUEENS, N.Y. – December 15, 2023 – Screams of terror could be heard from a jewelry store as masked gunmen ransacked and robbed the Queens store Tuesday evening.

The owner’s wife was brutishly thrown to the ground in a life-or-death attempt to fight back. Her husband, meanwhile, was wrestling the other men when he was suddenly shot twice.

“I feel, thanks to God, good,” Manuel Tapia told PIX11 News in an exclusive interview.

Miraculously, the 59-year-old survived and was home from the hospital a day after his brush with death. He recalled thinking he was going to die during the ordeal.

“[I] got hit by adrenaline, and it was life-or-death. [I] was fighting for [my] business and livelihood and family,” Tapia said through a translator.  

His teenage son and nephew were also there, holding their hands in the air during the robbery.

“I was terrified, screaming, ‘Dad, don’t fight! Let them take it.’ But it’s my dad’s life,” Robert Tapia, 18, said. 

Manuel suffered a graze wound to the head and another bullet went through his thigh. 

He opened the jewelry store in Corona two years ago.

The gunmen stole gold and diamonds.

Four of them fled on mopeds or e-bikes, according to the victim’s nephew.

“Those e-bikes have been common, criminals are using them now,” Kevin Leon said.

Investigators are using store security images and bullets recovered from the scene to track them down.

Tapia, thinking about the holiday rush, is eager to get back to work by the end of the week.

If you have any information regarding these subjects, please contact the Jewelers’ Security Alliance at jsa2@jewelerssecurity.org or 212-687-0328.

Westlake Burglary Crime Scene

Subjects break into Westlake Veterinarian, then go through wall into jewelry store

by Crime VideosUncategorized

Westlake, OH – Westlake police are investigating a breaking and entering involving two subjects breaking through a wall between storefronts overnight between December 4th, to 5th 2023.

Westlake Burglary

Police say two subjects were seen on camera prying open the back door of a neighboring veterinarian. The two subjects then went through the wall of the veterinarian into the jewelry store next door, officers say. An unknown amount of merchandise was stolen from the jewelers and the safe was broken into, police say. Watch the video below to see more.

If you have any information about these subjects, please contact the Jewelers’ Security Alliance at jsa2@jewelerssecurity.org or 212-687-0328.

Northwest Miami-Dade Burglars

Burglars make off with substantial amount of cash and jewelry from NW Miami-Dade business

by Crime Videos

NORTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) – December 4, 2023 – A heist captured on camera has left the owner of a jewelry store counting the cost after two, possibly three, individuals backed a flatbed tow truck into the business, making away with a safe containing a large amount of cash and jewelry.

Surveillance footage revealed the thieves inside the establishment, skillfully using a tow truck to hook a line around the safe before pulling it through the front door.

The perpetrators reportedly initiated their scheme by breaking into a neighboring nail salon around 2 a.m. on Monday. Over the next four hours, they diligently worked to breach the wall connecting the two businesses, gaining access to the jewelry store.

The store�s owner only learned of the incident at 9 a.m. when contacted by the police, as the alarm system reportedly failed to alert him. The owner, Zegarra, expressed his dismay, particularly during the holiday season, known as the high season for the business. “We have 12 employees,” he said. “They�re part of my family. They�re not blood, but I take care of them like family. We�ve been together for many years. This is, for us, the high season. that�s when we make the most profit from all the bad seasons we just passed. This just happened and that�s crazy.” While the store is insured, the owner highlighted the unique challenge during the busiest shopping season�the lack of inventory.

If you have any information about these subjects, please contact the Jewelers’ Security Alliance at jsa2@jewelerssecurity.org or 212-687-0328.

Click here to view news clip regarding the incident.

Calxixo

Jewelry store robbery suspect arrested

by ArrestsCrime VideosCrimes

CALEXICO, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) – November 28, 2023 – A suspect tied to a jewelry store robbery in Calexico back in 2022 has been arrested. 20-year-old Anthony Angel Flores was arrested on the night of November 21, after a robbery at a jewelry store in Calexico last year.

Calexico police say Flores and another suspect entered the store smashing a glass display with a hammer and pointed a handgun at a worker. 

Calexico police along with the FBI and the ATF conducted an investigation determining Flores was their suspect. “Flores is well known by our Calexico police officers and also he is well known for carrying firearms in the past and he has been involved also in past incidents where weapons were found,” said Jonathan Rangel, Calexico Police Department.

The other suspect is still on the loose.  Flores was handed over to the FBI for federal prosecution. Police say he is being charged with robbery with a firearm.  

Vehicle used in crime

Subjects ram SUV into jewelry store during heist, video shows

by Crime VideosCrimesMediaUncategorized

LOS ANGELES, CA – On November 18, 2023, a jewelry store was left picking up the pieces after a brazen vehicle smash burglary impacted their store. The incident was caught on video.

Los Angeles police say officers responded to the jewelry store after a report came in around 1:48 a.m. Saturday.

Multiple security cameras at the jewelry store show an SUV ram into the storefront. The burglars are then seen running in and ransacking the location.

The owner, who didn’t want be identified, says the thieves didn’t take much but they caused significant damage. “We have to redo the floors, redo the cabinets because they were smashed for no reason. There was nothing in them,” the owner said. “They just don’t care, so it impacts us both financially and mentally.”

The owner says the jewelry store has been in the community for more than three decades.

Police had no leads on the case, but the owner said the SUV involved in the crash was stolen and was found abandoned nearby.

Click here to view footage of the crime and read the source of this posting. If you have any information regarding the subjects from this crime, please contact the Jewelers’ Security Alliance at jsa2@jewelerssecurity.org or 212-687-0328.