Video shows thief breaking into Santa Monica jewelry store, stealing about $4,000 worth of items
The owner told ABC7 a similar smash-and-grab happened in February.
SANTA MONICA, Calif. (KABC) -- A thief stole about $4,000 worth of items from a jewelry store in the Santa Monica Promenade, and the brazen crime was caught on surveillance video.
It happened at last Tuesday just before 2 a.m. at See Sea Jewelry on the 3rd Street Promenade.
In footage captured by the store's Ring camera, you see the suspect break the front glass door and sneak his way in. He's seen wearing a grey hoodie and a backpack.
The suspect immediately starts grabbing items from the display area and stuffs them into the front pocket of his hoodie. He grabs necklaces then runs behind the counter to check for a cash register before darting out the same way he came in.
"I immediately noticed that he broke in so I immediately called the police around 2 a.m. and they showed up around 4 a.m.," said See Sea Jewelry owner Sun Jung.
Jung said a similar smash-and-grab happened in February. Other stores along the promenade, like Lids, tell Eyewitness News they've been victims of the same crime - even though a Santa Monica Police Department public safety kiosk sits right in front of the store.
"There's police during the day and such but we need security at night because we see so many windows being broken at night," said Jung.
He said after working as street vendors, opening the brick-and-mortar shop in 2021 was a dream come true for him and his wife.
"We had a lot of big aspirations about the store and things started to take off and we made our first store here, so yeah it is definitely our dream," he said. "It's definitely something we cherish and value every day."
Crime data shows that vandalism and burglaries have decreased in Santa Monica, according to the city's website but Jung said the lack of safety he feels here could affect his decision to stay.
"Security here doesn't seem to improve as years go by, so I'm starting to have uncertainty about the location," he said.
The jewelry store owner has since filed a police report but the suspect remains at large. Anyone with information is urged to contact police.
Meanwhile, Santa Monica police told ABC7 it plans to hire four more officers.
