An Orinda boutique became the target of a smash-and- grab over the weekend. The thieves stole some very valuable merchandise and even pepper sprayed innocent bystanders.
“We've been in business 25 years. Nothing has ever happened to us before like this ever,” said Cyndi with Hilton House Home Consignments.
Hilton House Home Consignments became the target of some bold and aggressive thieves this past Saturday.
“Five people came bombing into the store with hammers and broke all of our cases and stole all of our jewelry,” Cyndi said.
As customers were casually browsing, five men stormed in, immediately pepper spraying staff and shoppers in the face. The thieves then took their hammers and smashed the jewelry cases before running out with more than $100,000 in jewelry.
“Rings, one-of-a-kind estate pieces, diamonds, rubies, emeralds, diamond earrings, diamond post earrings,” Cyndi said.
Shoppers are outraged. They told NBC Bay Area on Monday that it's something they just don't expect in quiet Orinda. The owner has set up a GoFundMe to help them make up the losses and repair the damage.
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“I think it’s a travesty. It’s horrible. These people are so awesome. They’ve been here forever. I hate to hear things like this happening it’s devastating,” said Rochon Brooks, a customer.
“I'm going to donate to their go fund me account and hopefully the community will rally around them and support them and get this all fixed,” said Merrily Taylor, a customer.
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Cyndi said that she'll need all the support she can get to stay afloat and added the smash-and-grab has left her staff shaken. She hopes the robbers are caught.
“It's terrifying, terrifying,” she said. “These guys don't even care. These guys or girls don't care and they're on the young side of they're young.”
