Family Considers Closing Jewelry Store After Violent Smash-and-Grab Robbery in San José
A San josé jewelry store was the target of a brazen smash-and-grab robbery last week, leaving the elderly owner traumatized and his family questioning the future of the business. The incident, captured on surveillance video, unfolded in approximately 40 seconds.
According to the video, a group of suspects drove an SUV into the storefront before entering the store.One robber forcibly grabbed an object from the store owner’s hands, while another shoved the man to the floor. A masked suspect was seen pointing what appeared to be a handgun at the owner’s son during the robbery. The group quickly gathered items, placing them into trash bags, before fleeing in at least four vehicles waiting in the parking lot, abandoning the SUV used to breach the store.
The San José Police Department has stated they have no facts to release about the suspects at this time, and the case is being investigated by the robbery unit.
the store owner’s niece, Linh, who declined to provide her last name due to safety concerns, described her uncle’s condition following the ordeal.”He was very scared. He just kept speaking in Vietnamese,” she saeid, recounting how he repeatedly exclaimed, “Ối giời ơi, Ối giời ơi,” which translates to “Oh my god, oh my god.”
Linh arrived at the store approximately 10 minutes after the robbery and found her uncle with bloodied feet from walking on broken glass in sandals.She described him as being “in a fog,” speaking in short phrases and appearing distant. A subsequent hospital visit revealed the elderly man had suffered a stroke and spent the weekend recuperating in the hospital before returning home by Wednesday.
“We just don’t know if there will be a business there anymore,” Linh said, expressing her family’s uncertainty. She added, “We just only are asking for prayer and wishes for him to get better. We want everybody to know about the safety of our businesses right now.” Linh also shared her own emotional response, stating she felt “traumatized, angry, bad, sad.”
The store owner, who arrived in california over 40 years ago from South Vietnam, built a life and raised his family in the San José area. “He’s a family man [who loves] his family,” Linh emphasized.
The robbery has sparked outrage and calls for increased public safety measures. Despite a recent SmartAsset study ranking San José as one of the nation’s safest major cities, the incident drew strong condemnation. The Vietnamese community held a rally Tuesday evening outside the jewelry store, advocating for better policing and increased funding for public safety. Demonstrators carried signs reading “End Smash & Grab” and calling for stricter penalties for criminals as approved by voters in November under Proposition 36.
San José Mayor Matt Mahan acknowledged the community’s anger,stating the surveillance video “made his blood boil.” Public safety advocacy groups are urging state legislators and Governor Gavin Newsom to increase policing and install more license plate readers throughout the Bay Area. Edward Escobar, founder of the Coalition for Community Engagement, which supported recent recalls in Oakland and Alameda County, characterized the robbery as part of a pattern of organized crime, stating, “It was just San José’s turn on the list.”
The family is not seeking financial donations, but rather prayers and well wishes for the owner’s recovery.
