A trio of sophisticated thieves snatched a $40,000 6-carat diamond ring right under the shopkeeper’s nose at a Southern California jewelry store — but not without being caught on the store’s security cameras.
Two women and a man entered Jewelery Fixx on Bouquet Canyon Rd A in Santa Clarita around 4:45 p.m. Wednesday and distracted the shopkeeper before stealing the ring in the most cunning manner.
Shopkeeper Edmond was behind the counter when they walked in and his son Avo, who declined to give his last name, told the trio said they were Italian tourists taking home a present for their mum wanted to.
They looked first at Rolex watches and then at gold and diamond necklaces and asked many questions about what the most expensive items were.
Edmond told KTLA News that the group “were talking really loud to each other and their hands were all over the place” — which aligns perfectly with the safety videos.
The heist began when the group discovered the ring — an 18k gold marquee-shaped ring with a 4-carat diamond in the center and 2-carat diamonds on the side — and learned how much it was worth.
The trio of bandits – two exposed women and a man – who stole a $40,000 diamond ring
An 18k gold marquee-shaped ring with a 4-carat diamond center and 2-carat diamonds on the side valued at $40,000 was stolen by three brazen thieves on Wednesday
Avo said the diamond ring was in the box and when one of the women held the box, his father got the wrapping paper, gift bag and another box they asked for
That’s when one of the women secretly stole the ring from the box and hid it behind a wallet she was holding
That’s when one of the women cunningly ripped the ring out of the box, sealed the box and placed it on the tissue paper while the man presented the owner with $1,000 in cash
She then closed the empty box and placed it on top of the wrapping paper while the man presented Edmond with $1,000 in cash as an advance
Both women are seen here at the sales counter, fiddling with the empty box they placed on the tissue paper while the stolen ring was in the woman’s hand
Avo told : “They were quite distracting – asking what the price of this or that is.
‘They wanted the ring. They had a big wad of cash and they were counting it. They said we’ll give you $1,000 right away, but we have to run to the car to get our credit card and pay the rest on the card.”
As one of the women held the box with the ring inside, Edmond turned away to get some wrapping paper, a gift bag, and another ring box they had asked for.
That’s when one of the women secretly stole the ring from the box and hid it behind a wallet she was holding.
She then closed the empty box and placed it on top of the wrapping paper while the man presented Edmond with $1,000 in cash as an advance.
The trio then informed the store owner that they would come back with their credit card to pay the remainder of the $40,000 and left the store. Avo said they waited almost ten minutes before realizing what had happened.
“We opened the box and found the ring was gone. It was very quick. It happened in a millisecond. They were very skilled – true professionals,” he said.
He said the money they gave them was turned over to the police as evidence. Avo said he had no idea if the bills they were given were fake.
The store’s security video captured the brazen thieves, all of whom were exposed.
“They looked like normal customers. There was nothing suspicious about them, we would have recognized that,” Avo said.
“We are a small family business. Every day is a struggle for survival for us,” he said. “We are furious and hope they get caught and we get the ring back.”
Avo’s father told the news outlet it was his fault for looking away to get the wrapping paper and gift bag.
“I shouldn’t have left it there. It’s a lesson learned. You can’t just trust anyone. You have to be careful,’ he said.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office, which is handling the case, was unavailable when contacted them, but authorities told the news outlet it’s likely these crooks have stolen before.
Anyone who recognizes the thieves is asked to call the LA County Sheriff’s Office at 661-260-4000
“We opened the box and found the ring was gone. It was very quick. It happened in a millisecond. They were very skilled – true professionals,” said Avo, the son’s owner
Jewelry Fixx is a family business. The store has been in existence for four decades and relocated to Santa Clarita from its original location in downtown Los Angeles eight years ago