SAN JOSE, Calif. — An 88-year-old owner of Kim Hung Jewelry was hospitalized after a large group of masked suspects backed an SUV into the store’s glass front and smashed into display cases in a midday smash-and-grab robbery that left the shop destroyed, authorities said.
Surveillance video released by local media shows more than a dozen people dressed to hide their appearances rushing into the store just after 2 p.m. on Sept. 5. While many grabbed items from display cases, one suspect shoved the shop owner to the floor. Another pointed a firearm at an employee and appeared to check that employee’s pockets before the group fled when a car horn sounded outside, according to the footage and a police statement.
San Jose police said the suspects fled the scene in multiple vehicles prior to officers’ arrival and remain at large. The department characterized the incident as a coordinated theft; no arrests were reported in the immediate aftermath.
The owner was taken to a hospital after the incident and spent the night there. Family members who attended a news conference said he suffered a stroke and sustained injuries from broken glass but was later reported to be in stable condition and released. The shop sustained extensive damage and was effectively put out of business within an hour of the theft, according to statements at the news conference.
San Jose City Councilmember Bien Doan, speaking at a Coalition for Community Engagement news conference alongside the victim’s family, said the episode underscored broader concerns about public safety and the protection of small businesses. “If this was your family member, if this was your business that you spent your whole lifetime to build up, and then within one hour you’re out of business,” Doan said. “We no longer accept the norm. We ask for change.”
Police did not provide an estimate of the value of the jewelry taken, and the victims and city officials did not immediately release a full inventory of losses. KTVU and other local outlets shared surveillance images showing suspects using the SUV to breach the storefront and a chaotic interior scene as merchandise was seized from display cases.
The San Jose incident follows a spate of high-profile smash-and-grab robberies targeting jewelry stores in several U.S. cities over recent years, prompting law enforcement agencies and business groups to review security measures. Authorities urged anyone with information or who recognizes suspects in the surveillance images to contact the San Jose Police Department.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.