Lombard

DuPage County, Illinois- Two Jewelry Store Burglary Suspects ARRESTED from Ohio Released Pre-Trial by DuPage County Judge After Capture by Lombard Police

by ArrestsBurglaryCrime SuspectsDaily Blog

Lombard, IL– Police officers about 8:56 p.m. Thursday, February 13, 2025, were dispatched to Rogers & Holland Jewelers after receiving information that two individuals, later identified as the defendants, were inside the store approximately two hours after it had closed. Following an investigation into the matter, police discovered that Alls and Butler allegedly used a crowbar to pry open a security gate at the store. Once inside the store, the defendants allegedly stole approximately $137.205.45 worth of merchandise from the display cases. While in the store, Alls noticed a security officer, and yelled “we gotta go!” at which time both offenders fled the scene on foot, ultimately getting into a silver Volvo. Nearby officers located the Volvo at Highland Avenue and Roosevelt Road and observed the license plate was covered by a towel. Officers subsequently conducted a traffic stop and took the defendants into custody without incident. When processing the scene, officers located a crowbar in the backseat of the Volvo. Police also discovered a bag of jewelry allegedly thrown from the defendants’ vehicle near Roosevelt Road and Stewart Avenue, approximately two hundred feet from where the vehicle was initially observed by officers, and about two miles from the Rogers & Holland Jewelers.

“As I have said before, burglary and retail theft are not victimless crimes. Shoppers, employers, employees, business owners and entire communities ultimately bear the cost in the form of higher prices, lost revenue and wages, reduced local economic investment and a lost sense of security. I thank the Lombard Police Department for their work on this case and for their ongoing efforts in keeping our retail establishments safe for employees and patrons. I also thank Assistant State’s Attorneys Sean Kinsella and Michael Pingaj for their work in securing charges against Mr. Alls and Mr. Butler.”

— DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert B. Berlin

“I would like to recognize our patrol officers and detectives for some fantastic professional police work that led to the apprehension of the individuals involved and the recovery of the property stolen in this incident. I would also like to thank DuPage County State’s Attorney Bob Berlin and his office for their assistance in securing appropriate charges.”

— Lombard Deputy Chief of Police Joe Grage

The next court date for both defendants is scheduled for March 10, 2025, in front of Judge Ann Celine O’Hallaren Walsh.

Members of the public are reminded that this complaint contains only charges and is not proof of a defendants’ guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and are entitled to a fair trial in which it is the government’s burden to prove their guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

— DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office

Article provided by Arlington Cardinal.com, click here to view article.

Wisconsin

West Allis, WI- pawn shop jewelry theft; 2 men from out of state ARRESTED!

by ArrestsCrime NewsCrime SuspectsCrimesDaily Blogdistraction theft

West Allis, WI- More than $30,000 worth of jewelry was stolen from a West Allis pawn shop.
Two men – one from New York, the other from Washington – are charged with theft.
Court filings said the investigation involved authorities in Illinois and Indiana. Now, two men from opposite ends of the country are charged with theft in Milwaukee County.

Court records identified 23-year-old Procoror Muntean and 26-year-old Retan Varga. Muntean is from Queens Village, New York. Varga is from Kent, Washington. Both men are yet to appear in court on the charges.

West Allis police were called to Pawn America, at 76th and Lincoln, on Feb. 10. According to a criminal complaint, an employee told police that two men came in and asked to see some items from the jewelry case.

Prosecutors said those men, since identified as Muntean and Varga, took several items to the cash registers where one of them asked about some shoes. When the employee went over to the shoes, the men said they needed to get $10,000 to buy the jewelry and then left the store.

Approximately 15 minutes later, court filings said the employee noticed the jewelry he showed the men was missing. The items totaled more than $30,000.

The day after the theft, court filings said a detective from Illinois contacted West Allis police to say one of the Pawn America theft suspects had stolen a watch worth $50,000 from a store there. Investigators then learned Muntean and Varga had been stopped in Indiana, where Muntean was taken into custody for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated. In custody there, he admitted to stealing the watch in Illinois.

West Allis police reviewed photos of Muntean and Varga provided by authorities in Illinois. Comparing those photos to surveillance video from Pawn America, the complaint states detectives identified the suspects as Muntean and Varga. Pursuant to a search warrant, Indiana State Police searched the vehicle and found multiple pieces of jewelry believed to have been stolen from Pawn America.

Court filings also noted that a Shorewood police detective contacted West Allis police on Feb. 12. The detective said Muntean and Varga were in a separate Feb. 10 theft in which an $8,000 bracelet was stolen from a jeweler. At this time, the men are not charged with theft from that jewelry.

Article provided by Fox 6 News, click here to view article.

Handcuffs

San Carlos, CA- : 18-year-old arrested in $56,000 jewelry store robbery.

by Armed RobberyArrestsCrime SuspectsCrimes

San Carlos, California – An 18-year-old suspected of stealing $56,000 in jewelry from a San Carlos store in September 2024, along with two other people, was arrested this week.

The San Mateo County Sheriff’s office arrested the Oakland resident on Tuesday, according to a Friday news release. He was booked into the Maguire Correctional Facility on robbery, burglary and grand theft charges. The office is continuing to identify and locate two others involved in the theft.

On Sept. 25, 2024, San Mateo County Sheriff’s deputies assigned to the San Carlos Police Bureau responded to the report of a robbery at the Home Consignment Center located in the 1100 block of Industrial Road in San Carlos.

Three suspects smashed the door into the business, which was open at the time, and ran to the jewelry department. The suspects then used hammers to break jewelry cases, stealing approximately $56,000 in jewelry before fleeing the area, according to the release.

Following a months-long investigation from the sheriff’s office, that included assistance from the Milpitas Police Department regarding a similar case, officers identified the suspect. Investigators obtained a search warrant that led to the identification of evidence linking the man to the robbery, according to the release.

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

Article provided by Stephanie Lam of Bay Area News Group. Click here to view article.

texas

Harris County, TX- 4 ARRESTED in connection with a string of smash-and-grab robberies at several NW Harris County jewelry stores

by Armed RobberyArrestsCrime SuspectsCrimesDaily BlogSmash and Grab

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — Four people have been arrested and charged in connection with a string of smash-and-grab robberies, according to Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.

The robberies occurred in November and December 2024 at several jewelry stores in northwest Harris County. Gonzalez said thousands of dollars worth of jewelry were stolen during these robberies. The suspects also allegedly caused thousands of dollars in damage.

The suspects, Dexter Mitchell, 51, his nephew, Reginald Mitchell, 22, Shonton Howard, 26, and Christian Venson, 25, are also suspected of carrying out similar crimes in other parts of Harris County and the Dallas area, according to Gonzalez.

They’re all charged with engaging in organized criminal activity while using a deadly weapon and aggravated robbery.

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

Article provided by KHOU 11 News- Click HERE to view article.

WASHINGTON

Puyallup, WA- Jewelry kiosk inside Puyallup mall burglarized

by BurglaryCrime NewsCrimesDaily Blog

PUYALLUP, Wash. — A jewelry kiosk inside a Puyallup mall was burglarized. Puyallup police told KIRO 7 News that multiple suspects shot out an entrance of the South Hill Mall Monday around 6:30 a.m.

Joe Bell, a spokesperson for the mall, said the two suspects entered near the movie theater and targeted Banter by the Piercing Pagoda inside the mall. Half of the jewelry cases were completely empty as of Wednesday afternoon, while several were missing glass.

“Concerned, concerned for the safety of the people, and of course the workers,” said Christopher Ramirez, a shopper. We called the company to get more details, but no one answered. However, Bell said the suspects dashed away before police and security arrived.

“These particular perpetrators came and went very fast,” he said. “It is very reminiscent, just the method that they used of similar burglaries we have seen in the Puget Sound area in the past couple of weeks. We’re working really closely with Puyallup police.”

KIRO 7 News asked Bell if the mall had plans to make any updates following the incident. The spokesperson said he couldn’t disclose any details for safety reasons, but said the mall’s top priority is safety. “We pride ourselves on having a very robust security arrangement at the mall, both human and electronic,” he said.

Puyallup detectives declined to share surveillance footage of the suspects, stating they did not want to impact the investigation.

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

Article provided by KIRO 7 News- Click here to view article.

Handcuffs

Newark, NJ- ARRESTED- Crew broke into N.J. store through ceiling. Member caught with $10K watch arrested, cops say.

by ArrestsBurglaryCrime NewsCrime SuspectsCrimesDaily BlogUncategorized

Newark, NJ– A member of a South American theft group was charged with federal crimes after he was caught with a wristwatch that he allegedly stole from an Essex County mall last year, investigators announced Tuesday.

Gustavo Ignacio Salas Ortega, 33, of Chile, and the group scouted the unidentified jewelry store that was located at a mall “in or around Millburn,” before committing the burglary, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office District of New Jersey.

He and the others entered the store through the ceiling and a hole they cut through an adjacent wall to steal multiple pieces of jewelry, the office said.

When police officers arrived at the business on Oct. 5, they reviewed surveillance footage which showed five people wearing masks, gloves, and some wearing reflective vests near the store while carrying bags and a collapsible ladder, according to a criminal complaint.

Further review of the footage showed some of the men, including Salas Ortega, surveilling and scouting the location of the store on both the day of and the day before the burglary, the complaint stated. He was not wearing a mask and his face was visible in the footage.

On Oct. 14, police, including members of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, detained Salas Ortega in Rochelle Park. They recovered the wristwatch, which he had also been seen wearing in ATM surveillance footage in New York a few days earlier, authorities said.

Detectives determined that the watch, which had been purchased for $10,800, was at the jewelry store for maintenance work, according tot he complaint.

Salas Ortega was charged with one count of conspiracy to receive stolen property that had crossed state lines and one count of receiving stolen property that had crossed state lines, the office said.

“The Joint Organized Crime Task Force has been working tirelessly to apprehend these alleged criminals, following a labyrinth of conspirators that span multiple states,” FBI-Newark Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly said in a statement. “These alleged criminals are part of South American theft groups who have been targeting stores throughout the United States for months.”

Salas Ortega was detained Tuesday after his appearance in federal court in Newark, officials said

Article provided by NJ.com, click here to view.

Greece NY

Greece, NY- Three people arrested following smash-and-grab robbery at Greece Ridge mall jewelry store

by ArrestsCrime NewsCrime SuspectsCrime VideosCrimesDaily BlogSmash and Grab

Greece, N.Y. — Three people face charges in connection with a jewelry store robbery at The Mall at Greece Ridge last month.

Police said eight suspects entered the mall wearing masks and gloves Jan. 6, with six of them going to Dubai Jewelry while the other two stayed by the vestibule.

The suspects reportedly jumped the store’s counter and used a baseball bat to break the display cases, stealing roughly $90,000 worth of merchandise.

A Wilmorite security officer reportedly confronted the suspects during the incident but was threatened with a baseball bat. Police said another security officer was nearly struck by a bat that one of the suspects threw.

The suspects allegedly fled the scene in a dark Chevrolet Malibu, later found unoccupied on Lang Street in Rochester. Police said detectives identified two vehicles involved in the crime.

SWAT teams from the Greece and Rochester police departments executed a “high-risk” search warrant Wednesday at an address on Remington Street in Rochester, according to Greece police, with New York State Police assisting them with searches of three other locations.

Police said they recovered “significant physical evidence” during the searches and arrested three people.

Michael Ruiz, 28, Jahrusalem Smith, 30, and Destiny Allen, 41, all of Rochester, were each charged with robbery, grand larceny and criminal mischief.

Article provided by 13 ABC News- Click HERE to view article and video news release

If you have any information regarding this incident or information on these suspects or other being sought, please contact the Jewelers’ Security Alliance at jsa2@jewelerssecurity.org or 212-687-0328.

AZ7

GRAB AND RUN- TEMPE, AZ

by Crime SuspectsCrimesDaily BlogGrab and Run

Tempe, AZ– On February 04, 2025, it was reported that a grab and run incident occurred at THE Arizona Mills mall in Tempe, Arizona. A male subject entered the store where he was provided customer service by an employee. The male was looking at gold display showcases, where he asked and selected to look at a gold and diamond charm and gold chain necklaces. The male selected and stated he was going to purchase a lion black and white diamond charm. The male then selected a gold chain necklace to go with the gold charm. The male then placed the gold charm and gold chain on at the register. The male was on his cell phone, claiming to talk with his mother for money transfer for a credit card account to purchase the items. While on his cell phone, the male quickly fled the store. Mall security and the Tempe Police Department were notified and responded to this incident. No injuries were reported.

Suspect(s) Description: Male, mid 20’s, Hispanic, 5’8, 230-250lbs, black hair and beard, tan Aeropostale shirt, tan pants, grey/black/white Nike shoes

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

phoenix

Phoenix, AZ- ARRESTED: Two individuals stole $125,000 worth of jewelry from Valley stores, police said

by ArrestsCrime SuspectsCrimesDaily Blog

PHOENIX, AZ — Two people who police said stole $125,000 worth of jewelry from multiple Valley stores in the span of three days have been arrested, according to officials with the Phoenix Police Department.

The suspects were arrested in the parking lot of a store after stealing a $10,000 necklace, police said. A video posted by Phoenix police, click here to view video/aerticle provided by 12 News, shows the two suspects being shown jewelry, grabbing it, and running away at several different jewelry stores. Officials said they were able to identify the men and link them to a retail theft string.

The suspects have not been identified.

Illinois3

LINCOLNWOOD, Ill- Masked burglars commit smash-and-grab at north suburban jewelry store with customers inside.

by Crime NewsCrime SuspectsDaily BlogSmash and Grab

LINCOLNWOOD, Ill. — Three masked suspects smashed the front window of a north suburban jewelry store while customers were inside Saturday and stole an undisclosed amount of jewelry.

According to police, officers arrived at Baladna Jewelry in Lincolnwood, located in the 4300 block of Touhy Avenue, around 4:45 p.m. for a smash-and-grab burglary.

Police say, according to initial reports, the suspects arrived in a black pickup truck, which was observed parking in front of the store. The suspects then proceeded to smash the front windows and force their way inside, where they broke open display cases and filled bags with various pieces of jewelry.

According to police, several customers were inside the store at the time of the robbery, but no physical threats or injuries were reported. After committing the theft, the suspects fled westbound on Touhy Ave. in the black pickup truck.

Lincolnwood detectives were gathering information and evidence, including surveillance footage from nearby businesses and witness statements, after the incident.

The suspects were described as male and wearing all-black clothing, ski masks and gloves. No further details about the suspects’ identities or the stolen items were immediately available.

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