Four criminals steal $1.5 million from jewelry stores – NBC 7 San Diego

Four suspects were arrested and charged in San Diego County on Friday for allegedly committing a series of robberies and break-ins at high-end jewelry stores, causing more than $1.5 million in damages to the stores.

According to the California Attorney General’s Office, the crimes occurred in April and May at stores in San Diego, Orange, Riverside and Kern counties.

At a press conference Friday morning, California Attorney General Rob Bonta said there were 21 individual thefts, most of which occurred in San Diego County.

The criminal complaint charged Rodney Allen Flynt, Sr., 31, Michael Anthony Jones, Jr., 32, Christopher Shawn Pate, 27, and Ryan Keith Pate, 31.

“These are not victimless crimes,” Bonta said. “These thefts harm businesses, both small and large, and they pose a danger to workers and the public.”

Bonta said the thieves often posed as customers, asked to see certain pieces of jewelry, then grabbed the items and fled. Some stores were also broken into after closing time.

Stores affected include Banter, KAY Jewelers, Zales, Marc Jacobs and JCPenney.

While Bonta did not comment on the exact locations of each store, the case was jointly investigated by the San Diego Police Department, Carlsbad Police Department, Escondido Police Department, El Cajon Police Department, National City Police Department, Chula Vista Police Department, Bakersfield Police Department, Riverside County Sheriff’s Department and the California Department of Justice Organized Retail Crime Task Force.

Lt. Shaun Lawton of the Carlsbad Police Department said the thieves in the three robberies in Carlsbad were after gold chains.

NBC 7 also confirmed that at least two robberies took place in El Cajon and three more in National City, including at JCPenny. Penny stores in San Diego and Chula Vista were also robbed.

Bonta said the four suspects arrested this week are all believed to be involved in that operation. The charges filed this week include organized shoplifting, robbery, burglary and grand theft.

“The organized gangs of thieves who profit from these crimes have grown larger, more violent and continue to have a negative and destructive impact on society,” said Christopher Davis, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations San Diego. “These criminals harm our communities by disrupting local businesses and our overall sense of safety.”