Police search for suspects in $1.5 million jewelry heist at California store

Police are searching for multiple suspects accused of stealing more than $1 million of jewelry from a family-owned store in El Monte over the weekend.

Owner Rosanna Meza’s brothers arrived to open Meza’s Jewelry on Sunday morning when they saw both safes in the store had been opened and the majority of the store’s inventory was gone. Meza estimates the burglars stole about $1.5 million in jewelry, including 14 karat gold and diamond pieces. All that was left were some 10 karat gold chains, she said. The store was not insured to cover the loss, Meza said Monday.

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Based on surveillance footage from surrounding businesses, investigators believe four male suspects were in the area between 9 p.m. Saturday and 5 a.m. Sunday, said Detective Joseph Trejo with El Monte police.

The suspects appeared to have broken into multiple other businesses on Main Street, including a shoe store and a Boost Mobile, before they cut three holes into the roof of Meza’s and entered the store.

After opening the safes and taking the jewelry, the suspects also cut internet service and cameras and stole the store’s DVR, so police don’t have access to security footage from inside the jewelry store, Trejo said.

Once they left the store, security footage from surrounding businesses shows the suspects head toward a vacant parking lot northwest of the store, Trejo said.

Police are waiting for more security footage from surrounding businesses to gather further evidence and identify the suspects and any vehicles they used.

Meza said her mind went blank when she learned the jewelry had been stolen. It felt like the progress she made since opening the jewelry store five years ago was gone, Meza said.

“All the hard work we had done,” she said, “it was gone in one night.”

In the meantime, Meza said the jewelry store is taking orders from customers who want to support the business as they rebuild their inventory. The El Monte store has also brought in jewelry from Meza’s Hesperia location for customers shopping in person.

In 2023, the family fought off someone who tried to rob the store after he attacked one of the family members with bear spray. The same suspect, Joshua Lee Simmons, later faced murder charges in two killings in Malibu and Inglewood.