Police are investigating a jewelry store robbery in San Pablo that happened Saturday.
The incident occurred at around 4 p.m. at H-Bee Jewelry, located at the San Pablo Town Center.
Police said multiple people were wearing masks and gloves. They held up workers at gunpoint before getting away with a large amount of jewelry.
Store owners and customers in the area said Saturday that they are concerned and they would like to see a greater police presence.
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NBC Bay Area tried to talk to the owner of H Bee Jewelry, who was talking with police detectives for several hours.
One of jewelry store owner’s friends, who declined to speak on camera said the owner told him that the thieves broke in through a back door, avoiding security cameras and that they were in and out of the store within two minutes.
John, a neighboring business owner, told NBC Bay Area that the shopping center has been plagued with crime over the past few years.
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“I’m very concerned because we’ve been hit twice,” he said.
John, who didn’t want to show his face or use his real name, said that he's afraid of being targeted by thieves. It’s not a surprise to John that the alleged thieves got in and out so fast.
“They know exactly what they need to do,” he said.
John said the security is light at the center and there’s just one guard.
“He’s in a golf cart and normally, he doesn’t make a full circle fast enough to see what’s going on,” he said.
Richmond resident Chris Allison, who shops in the area frequently, said he’s noticed that shop owners are on edge with the increased crime, watching everyone closely and putting anything of value behind glass.
“It’s way up. Every store you go into now, everything is locked up,” he said. “It’s not fair to the rest of us because everyone else is out here stealing. It’s really not.”
No word yet on the value of what was stolen.
