Another Roof Raid: $1.5m Gold and Diamonds Stolen
July 03, 25
(IDEX Online) - Raiders escaped with diamond rings, gold chains and other valuables worth up to $1.5m in yet another "roof raid" on a US jewelry store.
They broke into Meza's Jewelry, in El Monte, California, disabled the alarms and used power tools to cut their way into the safes.
The crew gained access through the building's roof and crawled through the ceiling, according to business owner Israel Meza.
The suspects were seen leaving at 5.40am and are believed to have spent all night in the building.
They disabled and stole all security equipment—internet, alarms, and cameras — leaving the owners with no footage of the crime.
It's the latest in a series of US jewelry store raids in which the culprits enter through the wall of a adjoining building or through the roof, and are then able to spend hours ransacking the premises uninterrupted.
The Jewelers' Security Alliance's (JSA) says there were 20 wall or roof entry raids at jewelers in 2023 and 53 in 2024.
Last month raiders struck at another California jewelry store - 5 Star Jewelry & Watch Repair, in Simi Valley - by breaking in through the roof, then cutting through the wall and into the safe from a neighboring unit. They escaped with goods valued at $3m. Four people have since been arrested.
Screengrab courtesy KABC.