Robbers in Los Angeles are using sledgehammers to break into local businesses.
Early Monday morning, the suspects broke into Denny Lesser Jewelers in Chatsworth by breaking through three strip mall stores and six walls, according to Los Angeles police and Denny Lesser himself.
“I heard a loud bang in the back,” Lesser told Fox News Digital as he entered his store of 42 years to do repairs around 1:30 a.m.
He went to see what was going on and saw a suspect wearing a black hoodie, mask and gloves force his way into Lesser’s store through a wall.
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On Monday, robbers drove through a shopping street in Los Angeles’ Chatsworth neighborhood and broke into Denny Lesser Jewelry. (FOX11 Los Angeles)
“It wasn’t scary for me. I don’t know why,” Lesser said. “I saw him and screamed [an expletive]. I said, ‘Get out of here,’ and I think that scared him. ”
After making eye contact, the suspect walked back through the wall and began speaking to the other person in a language that was not English, Lesser said. The jewelry store owner then pressed the emergency button to contact the police, who quickly arrived at the scene. He said the suspect he saw was “small”, only 5 feet 5 inches or 5 feet 7 inches tall.
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Suspected robbers who targeted an LA jewelry store broke into a strip mall on Monday by smashing through the building’s exterior wall with a sledgehammer. (FOX 11 Los Angeles/Google Maps)
Although the damage to the three stores through which Lesser’s suspects went through the tunnel to reach Lesser’s store was severe, no one was injured and nothing of significant value was found in the damaged stores. He said he feels “lucky” that it wasn’t stolen.
“The police said it must have taken a lot of effort,” Lesser said of the robbers’ attempt to enter his store, adding that they left behind what appeared to be a sledgehammer and a crowbar. Ta.
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Los Angeles Police Department officers said it “must have taken a lot of effort” for the robbers to weave their way through multiple businesses to get to Denny Lesser’s jewelry store. (FOX11 Los Angeles)
Lesser added that the attempted robbery was a “carbon copy” of an incident at his store eight or 10 years ago when suspects tried to reach his store by punching through a wall. .
A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) confirmed this incident to Fox News Digital, as well as a similar robbery that occurred several days earlier at the Gilded Jewelry store in Fashion Alley in downtown Los Angeles.
“Unfortunately, one of us… [s]Torres broke in this morning. [at 3 a.m.]. If you recognize any of these individuals, please contact us.” The store posted photos and videos of police responding to the break-in on Instagram, adding, “Any pending orders will be shipped tomorrow.” said.
A similar sledgehammer robbery occurred on March 20th at a jewelry store in downtown Los Angeles. (Google Maps)
On March 20th, robbers used a sledgehammer to break into the store, and surveillance cameras captured footage of the suspects, FOX 11 reported, and investigators believe the two incidents are related. He added that he had not made it clear whether that would be the case.
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Other stores in the area told FOX 11 The thief also reportedly tried to break into the store using a similar method.
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“I feel violated, but I also feel blessed that no one was hurt. That’s how I feel,” said Rebecca Rotter of Cosmetic Creations Salon. “And I want some of these people to be prosecuted, because this crime is out of control. And I’m not comfortable with that at all.”
Last March, a robber used a sledgehammer to break into a Beverly Hills jewelry store in broad daylight and steal up to $5 million worth of merchandise. At least five suspects used sledgehammers to break the store’s windows Tuesday afternoon.
