milipitas

Milpitas, CA- Armed jewelry store employee thwarts hammer-wielding suspects in Milpitas

by Armed RobberyCrime SuspectsCrimes

MILPITAS, CA. — A family-owned jewelry store in Milpitas narrowly avoided a robbery on Wednesday when an armed employee scared off the would-be thieves.

The attempted robbery involved a large group of people rushing the store, armed with hammers and bags, but they were deterred by the presence of a gun.

An employee of the store was armed with a gun, and managed to scare off the people who tried to storm the store.

The incident in Milpitas mirrors a similar smash-and-grab robbery in San Jose last week, where thieves shoved an 88-year-old shop owner who later had a stroke.

Local leaders and political groups rallied in front of Fine Jewelry in Milpitas, calling on Governor Newsom to fund Prop 36, which they believe would make it easier to prosecute thieves.

Organizers say San Jose is experiencing a crime wave, and there is a lot of unreported crime throughout the Bay Area that needs to be factored in.

The family who owns the Milpitas store did not want to be interviewed but told the Milpitas mayor they were robbed about two years ago in the same way. They plan to reopen the store soon.

Article provided by KRON 4 News, click HERE to view.

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.

fordham

Bronx, NY- Attempted armed robbery at jewelry store ends in Fordham section of the Bronx arrests.

by Armed RobberyArrestsCrime SuspectsCrime Videos

Bronx, NY– A bold attempted robbery at a jewelry store in one of the Bronx’s busiest shopping districts was stopped in its tracks Thursday afternoon, ending with three suspects in custody and a heavy police presence on the scene.

The incident unfolded at Greenyes Jewelry on Fordham Road, where police say three masked men tried to rob the store in broad daylight – a shocking act given that recent city data shows robberies in the area have dropped by nearly 30% over the past month.

In video obtained from a witness, crowds can be seen quickly gathering outside the store as the situation unfolded. Moments later, several NYPD officers can be seen rushing into the store. A man in handcuffs is later seen lying on the ground, surrounded by police. Jenny, a local resident who was inside the store at the time of the incident, described the chaos.

“[The men] have half their faces covered. They got inside and they were enraged. I got scared when I saw them draw a gun- I just knew they would start shooting.” she said.

Police tell News 12 that all three suspects were arrested and that guns were recovered at the scene. No injuries have been reported at this time. The investigation remains ongoing as authorities work to determine what led up to the attempted robbery and whether the suspects are connected to any other crimes in the area.

Article provided by News 12, click here to view video news feed.

sunnyvale

Sunnyvale, Ca- Police interrupt jewelry store burglary.

by Armed RobberyBurglaryCrimes

Sunnyvale, CA– The Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety began receiving reports about 3:45 p.m. on Sunday of a stolen car driving near Mary and California avenues heading south toward El Camino Real, according to a department statement.

Officers were sent to the El Camino Real corridor due to concerns that the reported stolen vehicle could be connected to an attempted robbery, the department said. While in the corridor, officers saw “a caravan of several vehicles” fleeing west on El Camino Real, and began to pursue them.

The pursuit led officers onto Highway 101 into Palo Alto, where the California Highway Patrol took over. The CHP ended the pursuit shortly after.

At the same time as the pursuit, the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety received reports of a robbery in progress at a jewelry store in the area. Officers arrived on the scene, and the group of suspects fled.

A subsequent investigation into the report revealed that a group of “approximately 20 suspects,” some of which were armed with sledgehammers, attempted to break into the jewelry store. However, they were not able to enter the store before police arrived.

No injuries were reported in the pursuit or the attempted burglary at the jewelry store, the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety said. No arrests were announced in connection to either incident.

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.

Article provided by Fox 2 News KTVU, click here to view article.

handcuffs

Cache County, UT- Woman suspected of stealing $5,000 in jewelry from Logan store extradited to face charges.

by ArrestsCrime Suspectsdistraction theft

Cache County, UT– A woman wanted since 2022 for allegedly stealing over $5,000 in jewelry from a Logan jewelry store was extradited Wednesday and is now in the custody of the Cache County Jail, according to Logan City Police Department Lt. Derek Dickey.

Marioara Munteanu, 43, is being held on suspicion of second-degree felony retail theft. Court documents show Munteanu is wanted in multiple jurisdictions on similar charges. According to Dickey, she was extradited from Madison, Wisconsin.

Logan District Court issued a warrant for Munteanu’s arrest on June 2, 2022. According to the affidavit for arrest warrant, Logan City Police Department received report of the theft on May 25, 2022.

The store owner reportedly told police a man and a woman entered the store, stayed for about 30 minutes, then left without attempting to buy anything.

According to the affidavit, the owner suspected the couple may have been attempting to steal jewelry, so employees tried to keep a close eye on them. Surveillance video reviewed after the couple left showed they concealed multiple items and left without paying.

The owner reported six items were stolen, totaling “well over $5,000.”

Investigators distributed footage of the incident to the Jewelers’ Security Alliance network, and a contact identified one of the suspects as Munteanu.

According to a JSA crime alert from Jan. 2022, Munteanu is believed to be a member of an international group of “distraction thieves.” At the time, she was also a suspect in multiple jewelry thefts in Tennessee, Maryland and Georgia.

Munteanu is scheduled to appear before First District Judge Brian Cannell on Wednesday, Sept. 3. She is being held without bail in the Cache County Jail.

Markus3

MARTIN COUNTY, Fla- Martin County deputies arrest Romanian ‘traveling criminal’ found with $400K of stolen jewelry

by Arrestsdistraction theft

MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. — A Romanian man was arrested in Martin County after being caught with over $400,000 of stolen jewelry.

The Martin County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) arrested Marcu Rostas, 33, along Martin Downs Boulevard on Monday. Inside Rostas’ vehicle, they found high-end watches, a $40,000 diamond ring, gold chains, gold coins and $30,000 in cash. Police say the stolen jewelry was found inside a stuffed animal.

According to MCSO, Rostas was a “traveling criminal” wanted in multiple states and was in the United States illegally, having possessed multiple fake identifications. His arrest came one day after he stole from a jewelry store in Stuart.

During the arrest, detectives found that Rostas’ son was wearing a stolen Rolex watch valued at $40,000, and his daughter was wearing a stolen high-end necklace. Rostas’ wife, who was also in the vehicle, was not arrested and is in contact with Immigration Services.

MCSO says an ICE detainer has been placed on Rostas.

Article provided by WPTV- West Palm Beach News, click here to view Article.

NC2

WINSTON- SALEM, NC- GRAB AND RUN.

by Crime SuspectsCrimesDaily BlogGrab and Run

WINSTON -SALEM, NC- On August 24, 2025, the suspect entered the store and told the employee that he was looking for a necklace because his brother just bought one. He said that he was looking for something solid, and that he had a budget of about $8,000. He looked at some different chains, then pointed to one. He said that he wanted to see how it looked on him, and he also wanted to see how it looked on him with a matching charm. The employee told him that he could only have one piece at a time, and he told her that he didn’t know how he could decide unless he could see both pieces on. She still would not let him see both pieces. He eventually looked like he was going to put it on, but he had control of the piece and fled the store. He was seen getting into a newer black SUV that was waiting for him.

Suspect(s) Description: Male, black, 6’0″, 200 lbs, black hat, peach Hawaiian shirt, khaki shorts

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

sentence

Chattanooga, TN- Man pleads guilty to Chattanooga jewelry store robbery with 57-month prison sentence deal.

by Armed RobberyArrestsCrime Suspects

Chattanooga, TN– A man pleaded guilty Wednesday in Chattanooga’s federal court to a 2021 jewelry store robbery in Hamilton Place mall.

Joshua Lishun Brewer, 29, is expected to serve a 57-month prison sentence for obstructing, delaying and affecting interstate commerce by committing a robbery at Markman’s Diamonds.

“It’s a big decision not only in your life but in the life of the case,” Magistrate Judge Mike Dumitru said from the bench.

The details of the robbery were not discussed in court, but Brewer’s plea agreement detailed the Dec. 17, 2021, incident.

Brewer went inside Markman’s Diamonds with two unknown accomplices and started to yell at those inside to get down, the plea said.

A store employee told authorities she hid underneath a desk and watched as her colleagues were zip-tied at gun point, the plea said.

The woman allegedly told Chattanooga police officers the robbers took her wallet, cell phone and an assortment of jewelry from the store.

When police recovered her phone, it was found to have Brewer’s thumbprint on it, according to the plea.

Markman’s has been the target of repeated burglaries over the decades — one in 1986, 2012 and 2016, according to Chattanooga Times Free Press archives.

Dumitru said he had only met Brewer twice in the worst possible circumstances a person could meet somebody.

Brewer is a young man, who still has time to turn his life around after he serves his sentence, Dumitru said. He wished Brewer luck and said to think of loved ones and the future.

“I hope that your life ends up exactly the way you want it to,” Dumitru said to Brewer.

He is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 9.

Brewer is also facing over a dozen state-level charges including aggravated kidnapping, aggravated assault, aggravated robbery, theft over $10,000 and false imprisonment, according to the Hamilton County Criminal Court clerk’s office.

Article provided by the Chattanooga Times, click HERE to view article.

jeweler arrest

Decatur, GA – Trinity man charged for stealing $114k from Decatur jewelry store he worked at for decades

by ArrestsCrime SuspectsDaily Blog

Decatur, GA– A former jeweler who had worked at Jimmy Smith Jewelers for three decades was charged last Tuesday with stealing more than $114,000 in jewelry and money from the store.

Joel Phillip Ghrigsby, 63, was charged with first-degree theft of property and transported to Morgan County Jail, where he was initially held in lieu of a $30,000 bond, jail records show, which was since amended to a $7,500 cash-only bond. He remained in jail Wednesday evening, according to jail records.

On Aug. 6, a Decatur business owner reported an internal theft from the business, according to the affidavit. Ghrigsby was then developed as a suspect.

On Aug. 12, Decatur police, with assistance from the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office, served a search and arrest warrant at a residence in the 20000 block of County Road 460 in Trinity, according to police, and Ghrigsby was placed under arrest.

According to the affidavit, Ghrigsby stole more than $114,000 in property over the past five years “and much more over the past 10 years.”

Jimmy Smith of Jimmy Smith Jewelers on Wednesday said the stolen property did not include customers’ jewelry or products. The affidavit said Ghrigsby stole jewelry, money and precious metals from the business.

Smith said Ghrigsby had worked as a jeweler at the store for more than 30 years and retired in January 2024. He last spoke with Ghrigsby a few months ago.

“His wife worked here, too,” Smith said. “Just great people; this is such a shock to me. I’d say we had a great working relationship when he decided to retire.”

Ghrigsby had dropped his store-provided benefits in favor of a Christian-based health care sharing program, according to Smith, then took a job driving a school bus for Morgan County Schools to regain benefits while still working at the store. After he retired, Smith was alerted about some of the content Ghrigsby was posting on Facebook.

“Someone told me he’d been going on cruises and trips,” Smith said. “Sounds like he was having a big time.”

According to his Facebook page, Ghrigsby also works as a bankruptcy petition specialist and is a certified paralegal and notary public. Smith said Ghrigsby served as a notary public for him and his employees.

Article provided by the Moultan Advertiser, click HERE to view article.

oakland

Oakland, CA- Jewelry store rammed with vehicle and robbed with firearms in broad daylight.

by Armed RobberyCrimesSmash and Grab

OAKLAND, Calif. – An armed robbery took place Monday afternoon at an Oakland jewelry store, after the business was rammed with a vehicle that was left at the scene, police say.

The Oakland Police Department said the business, located at the 700 block of International Boulevard, was significantly damaged. Video from the scene shows the front security gate is broken down at Kim Tim jewelry.

Employees were seen trying to clear and assess the damage. There was shattered glass everywhere near the front of the store.

Police said the robbery happened just before 1:45 p.m. and that officers arrived at the scene to investigate.

An employee told police someone used a vehicle to ram the store. That’s when police say some people entered with firearms and took items from the business before fleeing the area. The vehicle was left at the scene.

Police said they are actively investigating this case. They asked the public for any video or photos that may help with their investigation.

Police did not say if anyone was injured. It is not known what was taken or how valuable the items may be. Police did not offer any suspect information, nor did they indicate if any arrests have been made.

To view article provided by Fox 2 KTVU News, click HERE.

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.

ga2

VALDOSTA, GA- GRAB AND RUN

by Crime SuspectsCrimesDaily BlogGrab and Run

Valdosta, GA– On August 08, 2025, a jeweler was the victim of a grab and run theft. A lone male entered the location and began looking at chains and bracelets. After several minutes, the male decided to apply for a credit line but was declined. Next, the male stated he would buy an item. The employee took the item to the register and began ringing up the sale. While doing so, the male stated he wanted to see another bracelet. The employee the bracelet to the showcase to show the male a different item. However, the male grabbed the above item out of the employees’ hand and began running out of the store. Prior to exiting, the male turned as said “I’m sorry”. Witnesses observed the male enter a tan Dodge Charger with Florida tags. In addition, the male left a GA identification card (photo depicted above) behind. A police report was filed.

Suspect(s) Description: Male, Black, 5’11”, thin build, early 30’s, wearing a Black and Red Jordan Basketball Jersey, Jordan Hat, black pants

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.