Masked Robbers Pepper-Spray Pasadena Store Owner, Plunder $500,000 in Jewelry During Brazen Smash-and-Grab Heist

Three suspects stole about $500,000 worth of precious gems and jewelry from the Jewels on Lake retail jewelry store in the 400 block of South Lake Avenue on Tuesday afternoon at about 1:47 p.m.

Armed with pepper spray and wearing masks and gloves, the suspects smashed jewelry cases with hammers and escaped in a light-colored car.

The brazen crime occurred on a bustling street next to a busy yogurt shop.

According to Pasadena Police Lieutenant Derek Locklin, the store’s owner was escorting a client out the door of the shop when the robbers pushed their way through and pepper-sprayed the owner in the face and another person inside the store.

The suspects quickly smashed jewelry display cases with hammers, scooped up the gems and jewels, and escaped. A media report said the robbers also stole personal items from the second person in the store.

Pasadena Police Lt. Monica Cuellar said there was possibly a fourth suspect who was the driver of the getaway car.

“`The suspect vehicle is described as a dark-colored sedan. We are collaborating with other agencies to find information on similar incidents,” Cuellar said.

She said the robbery was fast. 

“I’m hearing anywhere from five to 10 minutes, but I’m guessing a few minutes,” she said.

Neither the owner nor the other person in the store was injured, although they were treated at the scene by Pasadena Fire Dept. Paramedics for the effects of pepper spray. There are no suspect descriptions as of Tuesday evening, police said.

The shop’s owner, Sam Babikian, told KTLA5 what happened.

“As soon as I opened the door, I got pepper sprayed right in my eye, my throat, my mouth,” Babikian said. “I couldn’t see anything. Then (all) I could hear was smashing and grabbing.”

Babikian made his way to a hidden panic button inside the shop, successfully contacting the police. The one thought running through his mind, he recalled, was: “I hope nobody pulls a pistol and shoots around.”

He has not yet taken full inventory to confirm that number, KTLA5 reported.

“Most of my merchandise is gone,” he said. “Most of the showcases are empty. This one hurts. I’m very grateful they did not harm me, they did not fight. Thank god that nothing happened to me and I’m still alive.”

Police said that because the store operates on a door buzzer system, the moment Babikian was escorting a guest out was the perfect time for the thieves to overtake him.

Babikian has been in the jewelry business for 50 years and joined the Pasadena community in 2005. He said this is the first time he’s been robbed since he started his business.

“Our Department collaborates with multiple law-enforcement agencies on an ongoing basis, and the arrest of the suspects is a priority. This is a family-owned business that has supported generations with the perfect wedding, birthday, anniversary, etc. These brazen acts hurt all of us who work hard to make a living, the honest way,” Police Chief Gene Harris said.

Cuellar confirmed that thankfully nobody was hurt and said the crime’s m.o. was unusual for Pasadena.

Another City official concurred, saying Pasadena has not experienced a smash and grab crime in recent years.

Many locals remember a well-publicized smash-and-grab robbery at the Apple Store in Old Pasadena.  It occurred more than six and a half years ago on November 30, 2016. Four teens stole 23 iPhones worth $18,000 from the store and fled.

Police ask anyone with information about this case to call them at (626) 744-4241 or report information anonymously by contacting “Crime Stoppers” at (800) 222-TIPS (8477) via your smartphone, or by downloading the “P3 Tips” Mobile App on Google Play or the Apple App Store, or by using the website http://lacrimestoppers.org.