Police are investigating after they say a group of suspects stormed into a Sunnyvale jewelry store Saturday afternoon, clearing it out in minutes.
The incident happened just after 1 p.m. at Nitin’s Jewelers on El Camino Real.
Police said that at least 10 people in masks burst into the store and started smashing cases. One of the suspects had a gun.
According to store employees, the thieves used hammers to break the tempered glass of the display cases and clear out the store. Police say at least one of the suspects had a handgun.
“I can’t even imagine like having to face something like that. Like someone have a gun and walking in the area, where you are normally would expect that everything is going by very safely. Yeah, that scares me for sure,” said Saloni Takawale of Sunnyvale.
The owner of the store said the thieves were in and out in less than five minutes and no employees were hurt.
The Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety said the suspects drove off in several different vehicles.
Local
It's not clear if any customers were in the store during the robbery. But the brazen crime has left people in the bustling shopping center on edge, especially since many families come here to shop for groceries.
“So many suspects could go inside at the same time. It’s kind of scary. I couldn't still digest that this happened today,” said Swetha kn of Sunnyvale.
Get a weekly recap of the latest San Francisco Bay Area housing news. Sign up for NBC Bay Area’s Housing Deconstructed newsletter.
The owner of the store declined to talk on camera but told NBC Bay Area he’s been in business nearly 25 years and his store has never been robbed until now.
The store does have security camera video and employees are working to get that to police. Authorities said they don’t yet know exactly how much the stolen jewelry was worth.
