Burglars Blowtorch Safes in Jewelry Store Heist
June 16, 25
(IDEX Online) - Burglars used a blowtorch to open two safes at a US jewelry store, after breaking through the wall of a vacant unit next door.
They stole goods valued at hundreds of thousands of dollars from Afghan Lapis Jewelry, in Encino, Los Angeles County, California.
Surveillance footage shows four masked intruders crawling on the floor after entering through a hole cut in the wall.
The Jewelers' Security Alliance's (JSA) warned recently that so-called "wall-entry burglaries" are on the rise. There were 20 in 2023 and 53 in 2024.
The burglars are believed to have jammed the store's security system and to have ripped out the alarm box.
They spent about three hours, uninterrupted, inside the store, breaking into the safes.
There have been a number of similar crimes in southern California, including a recent incident in Glendale where suspects entered through the roof and used blowtorches to open four safes.
Screengrab courtesy NBC Los Angeles.