A weekly roundup of jewelry store crimes from the past week:

Robbers Steal $1 Million Worth of Jewelry in California Parking Lot

Sherman Oaks, Calif. On Feb. 17, a traveling jewelry salesman, who had previously visited a jewelry customer in Santa Monica, was robbed in the parking lot of Sherman Oaks Fashion Square. Two armed men wearing masks smashed the rear window of his car and stole a bag of jewelry reportedly worth around one million dollars. The thieves then fled in a BMW 3 series.

“People in the jewelry industry must be careful if they think they are being followed. I encourage everyone to engage in evasive driving techniques including driving at a slower speed, making sharp turns when safe, and pulling into a public location,” says John Kennedy of the Jewelers’ Security Alliance.

Jewelry Robbery Forces Mall To Lockdown

Montclair, Calif. On Feb. 23, four armed men entered Montclair Plaza equipped with riffles and handguns. The men broke cases at a jewelry store and removed merchandise, prompting police to evacuate the area and put the mall on lockdown. There were no reports of injury.

Indiana Jewelry Store Hit with “Smash and Grab” Robbery

Hobart, Indiana On Feb. 26, surveillance footage shows that three men broke into Helzberg Diamonds early Sunday morning. The suspects broke jewelry cases with hammers, emptied the jewels into buckets, and then quickly fled the scene.

JCK