By Ritu Jha-
An armed robbery unfolded on Saturday, July 6 afternoon at the well-known Indian jewelry store in Berkeley, California. This is the fourth such heist in the past two months.
The city of Berkeley police spokesperson told indica that at about 2.07 pm, over seven to eight suspects armed with handguns and sledgehammers forcibly entered Bombay Jewelry, started smashing the display cases, and made off with jewelry and items worth $500,000.
The official told indica they were all wearing black clothes and came in two cars. Asked who informed the police the spokesperson told indica, the business fire alarm went off when they entered the store.
“No arrest has been made so far,” the official told indica.
According to the Bombay Jewelry Company, website: This business is a family-owned since 1985, and has been there for eight generations. It claims to have diligently grown its clientele over eight generations.
Community leader Ritesh Tandon reported the incident via X (Twitter) asking Governor Gavin Newsom to resign because he has not been effective in curbing robberies in California.
Tandon told indica this was the fourth Indian jewelry store robbed at gunpoint in broad daylight when people were around. “This kind of crime affects not just the store owners but the entire community,” he said. “This adds to the growing concerns about retail crime in the Bay Area.”
Over the past few months, several high-profile robberies have hit jewelry stores and luxury retailers across Northern California. Nitin Jewelers, PNG, and Bhindi Jewelers were robbed in May. Bhindi Jewelers in Newark, California, was robbed by a gang of more than a dozen perpetrators. The same month Sunnyvale’s Nitin Jewelers fell victim to a robbers.
In that case, the police reported up to 12 suspects, with at least one carrying a firearm, were involved . Nitin Jewelers, an Indian-American-run establishment on El Camino Real, has a long-standing presence in the community.
The owner of Nitin Jewelers, Nitin Soni had told indica earlier that the FBI should investigate the spike in retail crime.
Community leader Ritesh Tandon and Soni had met with Santa Clara District Attorney Jeff Rosen on July 1, to express their concerns just days before the recent robbery. Rosen assured them support, Tandon told indica.
Earlier Tandon had called on Governor Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta to resign for the administration’s failure to protect common businesses.
“As a concerned citizen, I urge you to take action immediately,” he had said. “Additionally, Attorney General Rob Bonta has also failed to maintain law and order in California, and I call for his immediate attention as well. Due to the failure of our politicians, common people continue to suffer. We need leadership that will prioritize the safety and security of our communities.”
