Community Rallies In Support Of San Ramon Jeweler, Set To Reopen After Violent Robbery

SAN RAMON, CA — A coalition rallied Thursday in front of Heller Jewelers in San Ramon to demand more aggressive policies to counteract violent robberies like the one seen Monday.

“This is not just about one store,” Edward Escobar, head of the Coalition of Community Engagement, said in a statement. “It’s about the safety and survival of entire communities. We will not stand by while violence and lawlessness go unchecked.”

The coalition is reportedly urging for full funding of Proposition 36, a public safety measure that passed last November authorizing prosecutors to charge repeat theft offenders with felonies. Although it passed, state leaders say that budget constraints have complicated its implementation.

On Monday, roughly 25 masked individuals, many of them armed, broke into Heller Jewelers at City Center, smashed display cases, and ran off with at least $1 million in jewelry. Newly-released cell phone footage shows a parade of suspects streaming through the store and using items like crowbars and pickaxes to break the display cases open.

The suspects were locked in the store due to new security measures put in place after a similar smash-and-grab robbery in March 2023 , but one suspect fired rounds through the entrance to the store in order to get out, according to San Ramon police. They then fled into roughly six getaway vehicles. No injuries were reported, though witnesses reported being placed under lockdown for at least an hour.

As of Tuesday, seven suspects have been detained, and roughly 18 remain at-large.
Heller Jewelers has been closed since Monday. They released a statement Wednesday thanking the community for their support and announcing that they will reopen Saturday.

“We would like to take a moment to thank you for the incredible outpouring of kindness our Heller Jewelers family has received this past week,” the store said. “We are deeply grateful that nobody was harmed. That is what matters most. Heller Jewelers has been part of this community for nearly thirty years, and we’ve always believed in the strength of the relationships we’ve built with you. Your support in the days since means more to us than we can express.”

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