Armed mob steals about $1 million from California jewelry store in smash-and-grab

A brazen smash-and-grab robbery at Heller Jewelers in San Ramon, California, involved nearly two dozen suspects, some armed, who stormed into the Bay Area store Monday and began breaking display cases with hammers and pickaxes before fleeing with about $1 million in merchandise, police said.

Surveillance video from the showrooms captured masked thieves entering the store, with some of them pointing firearms at employees. At least one shot was fired through the front entrance, authorities said. The suspects then escaped in waiting vehicles in the City Center Bishop Ranch valet area. Police pursued the fleeing cars but paused the chase to allow helicopters to track the suspects as they moved through the area. Several suspects were detained later in Oakland and a nearby suburb, including 27-year-old Jimmy Ray and his brother Michael Ray, according to local outlets.

In a separate incident two weeks earlier in San Jose, an 88-year-old jewelry shop owner was shoved to the ground during a smash-and-grab robbery captured on camera; she is recovering, authorities said. The two incidents reflect a broader pattern of organized retail theft that has prompted state officials to intensify enforcement efforts.

California has launched an Organized Retail Crime Task Force to combat large-scale thefts, led by the California Highway Patrol. In 2025, the task force had made more than 700 arrests and recovered nearly 150,000 stolen items worth about $8 million as of August, state officials said. Gov. Gavin Newsom said the state is serious about stamping out crime rings that target California businesses and undermine public safety, adding that law-enforcement partners statewide should be applauded.

The episode underscores ongoing concerns about retail crime and its economic impact as authorities coordinate statewide responses to organized theft. San Ramon police urged anyone with information to contact investigators.