An 88-year-old owner of a family-run San Jose jewelry store was assaulted during a broad daylight smash-and-grab robbery that left him cut by broken glass and, according to a friend, suffering a stroke.
Surveillance footage released following the Friday afternoon incident shows an SUV backing through the storefront of Kim Hung Jewelry in central San Jose at about 2:30 p.m., after which multiple masked suspects rushed into the shop, smashed display cases and took jewelry. The San Jose Police Department told KTVU the suspects, most dressed in black and armed with axes and hammers, also shoved the store owner to the floor while at least one assailant demanded people “get the f–k down.”
A friend of the owner, identified on social media as Chris Moore, said the 88-year-old was cut by broken glass when he was pushed and later had a stroke. Moore said the owner was treated overnight, stabilized by Sunday morning and released from the hospital. He told reporters the store suffered substantial property damage, which he estimated between $50,000 and $100,000; the store has not disclosed the value of jewelry taken.
Police said the robbery lasted only moments after the suspects made entry, with a car outside heard honking and prompting the assailants to flee. Authorities said the group left in multiple vehicles; one suspect was seen armed with a gun. The San Jose Police Department said the robbers remain unidentified and no arrests have been made.
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan condemned the attack on social media, saying the video “made my blood boil” and calling for the suspects to face “the harshest possible consequences.” In a post on X, Mahan said he had been in touch with the police chief and would be following the investigation closely.
On Sunday, civic leaders, community activists and the victim’s family gathered to demand stronger protections for small businesses, Moore said on X. Milpitas Mayor Carmen Montano was quoted as saying the assault was an attack on “the dignity of our elders, the safety of our neighborhoods, and the soul of our community.”
The San Jose Police Department has opened an investigation into the robbery. A department spokesperson told the San Francisco Chronicle that detectives are reviewing surveillance video and following leads, but officials had not announced any suspects or charges as of Sunday.
The attack drew attention to the vulnerability of small, family-run businesses to rapid, coordinated thefts in retail areas, as well as concerns about violence against older proprietors. The owner’s friend and others who attended the Sunday gathering called for increased policing and community measures to protect local merchants.
Authorities did not release further identifying information about the suspects or the vehicles used in the robbery. The police department asked anyone with information to contact investigators as they continue to pursue leads into the incident.