WE BEGIN WITH A SMASH AND GRAB ROBBERIES THAT HAVE TERRIFIED JEWELRY SHOP OWNERS AND THEIR CUSTOMERS ALL ACROSS THE BAY AREA. THE MOST RECENT, THIS FRIGHTENING TAKEOVER IN SAN RAMON. THE THIEVES SHOOTING THEIR WAY THROUGH A LOCKED DOOR JUST TO ESCAPE. AND NEW DRONE VIDEO FROM POLICE SHOWS THE MOB STREAMING OUT OF THE JEWELERS AT CITY CENTER BISHOP RANCH, WHERE THEY HAD SEVERAL GETAWAY CARS PRE-POSITIONED TO MAKE THAT QUICK ESCAPE. AND WE’VE SEEN SIMILAR INCIDENTS IN EVERY PART OF THE BAY AREA. THIS ROBBERY IN SAN JOSE RATTLING COMMUNITY MEMBERS AFTER THE STORE OWNER WAS BEATEN SO BADLY HE HAD A STROKE. OUR BRAD HAMILTON SPOKE TO LAW ENFORCEMENT ABOUT THE CHALLENGES THAT THESE CASES PRESENT, AND HOW TEAMWORK AND TECHNOLOGY LED TO SOME QUICK ARRESTS IN SAN RAMON. HEY, BRAD.
AS YOU JUST SAID, POLICE WENT TO WORK HERE EARLIER THIS WEEK ON THAT SMASH AND GRAB ROBBERY THAT INVOLVED MORE THAN 20 SUSPECTS. NOW, SO FAR, THEY HAVE SEVEN ARRESTED. AND NOW THEY’RE SHOWING US HOW THEY’RE TRYING TO FINISH THE JOB.
SMASH GRAB. GO! THE STEPS OF THE CRIME ARE SIMPLE, BUT INVESTIGATOR LACEY PELAYO WITH THE SAN RAMON POLICE DEPARTMENT SAYS TRACING THOSE STEPS IS ANYTHING BUT.
SUSPECTS ARE GETTING A LITTLE MORE SOPHISTICATED IN THE PLANNING OF IT. SO IT IS ONE OF THOSE THAT WE LEARN FROM IT AND WE ADAPT.
AND JUST THIS WEEK, ANOTHER TOUGH CASE LANDED ON HER DESK MONDAY AFTERNOON. A GROUP OF ABOUT 25 PEOPLE RANSACKED HELLER JEWELERS AT CITY CENTER BISHOP RANCH. NEWLY RELEASED VIDEO FROM POLICE SHOW THE ROBBERS STORMING THE STORE AND SMASHING DISPLAY CASES WITH PICKAXES. CELL PHONE VIDEO SHOWED THE SUSPECTS GETTING LOCKED INSIDE, THEN FIRING MULTIPLE SHOTS TO BREAK THE GLASS DOOR AND ESCAPE. THE FIRST TO ARRIVE, THE DEPARTMENT’S DRONE TEAM, HEADED BY LIEUTENANT MARK GUNNING.
THE SGT, OVERHEARD THE RADIO TRAFFIC FROM ALAMEDA COUNTY. THE OPERATOR IN THE DRONE ROOM OVERHEARD THAT ALSO THAT SOME JEWELRY SUSPECTS MAYBE COME TO TOWN. AND OUR DRONE OPERATORS IMMEDIATELY LIFTED OFF.
AND THEY FLEW OVERHEAD JUST IN TIME TO CAPTURE CRYSTAL CLEAR IMAGES OF THE GETAWAY. AS THE SUSPECTS RAN INTO WAITING CARS IN THE VALET AREA OF THE PARKING LOT. THAT VIDEO CAN MAKE ALL OF THE DIFFERENCE IN TRACKING DOWN SUSPECTS. SAN RAMON PD SAYS IN THIS CASE, THREE ADULTS AND ONE MINOR WERE EVENTUALLY ARRESTED IN OAKLAND, AND ANOTHER THREE ADULTS IN DUBLIN. NOW, INVESTIGATORS ARE LOOKING INTO WHETHER THEY COULD BE CONNECTED TO OTHER SIMILAR CRIMES AROUND THE BAY AREA. >>WE LOOK AT THE CASES HERE IN SAN JOSE, IN SUNNYVALE AND MILPITAS.
EDWARD LIANG WITH THE SANTA CLARA COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE, HAS STUDIED THESE CASES CLOSELY. HE BELIEVES THE REASON THEY’VE BECOME SO COMMON WEAK PUNISHMENT.
WHEN WE LOOK AT SMASH AND GRABS, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TIMES THEY’RE CHARGED AS ROBBERIES, RIGHT? BUT IT IS LIKE A A MUCH MORE VIOLENT SUBSET OF THE OVERALL ORGANIZED RETAIL THEFT.
BUT HE SAYS STATE LEGISLATION RECENTLY PASSED COULD HELP CURB THE TREND.
CERTAIN CRIMES, CERTAIN FELONIES WITH THREE OR MORE PEOPLE, WHICH THIS WOULD DEFINITELY FALL UNDER. THEN THERE’S A POTENTIAL FOR INCREASED PUNISHMENT THERE. THERE’S POTENTIAL INCREASED PUNISHMENT DEPENDING ON THE AMOUNT OF TAKING. SO HOW MUCH GETS STOLEN?
POLICE ARE CONFIDENT OVERALL THAT WITH REGIONAL COLLABORATION, THE HELP OF NEW TECHNOLOGY AND NEW LAWS ON THEIR SIDE, SMASH AND GRABS WON’T BE QUITE SO EASY IN THE FUTURE.
WE’RE WORKING TOGETHER TO TRY TO PREVENT THIS. LESS THAN THE AMOUNT OF THESE INCIDENTS THAT ARE OCCURRING.
TECHNOLOGY MAKING A HUGE DIFFERENCE EVEN HERE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT. AND AGAIN, THIS INVESTIGATION ON MONDAY STILL UNDERWAY.
