An 88-year-old jewelry store owner in San Jose, California, suffered a stroke when a mob of thieves destroyed his business on Friday as similar smash-and-grab incidents have plagued the Democrat-run state for the past few years.
The horrific incident happened at the Kim Hun Jewelry store in the 1900 block of Aborn Road when an SUV was seen backing up into the store’s front windows, shattering the glass, ABC 7 reported Monday.
The elderly owner is seen standing behind the counter at the other end of the shop when the vehicle hits the front of the business, then pulls forward. Moments later, a mob of black-clad thieves rush into the store armed with hammers and begin smashing the glass display cases.
At one point, one of them shoves the elderly man to the ground as the rest of them take what they want. When a car horn is heard blaring outside, the group flees the scene:
Police noted that at least one of the suspects was armed with a gun during the incident, according to KTVU. A source told the outlet that the elderly owner suffered a stroke and was hurt by the shattered glass.
The victim was treated in a hospital and later determined to be stable. He is now recovering at home.
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan (D) said, “This is appalling. Watching this senior get assaulted made my blood boil. These people need to face the harshest possible consequences for their actions. I’ve been in touch with our Police Chief… and will be following the investigation closely.”
Per the ABC article, the damage left behind will cost between $50,000 and $100,000.
Several community activists later rallied outside the damaged business demanding an end to such crimes against small businesses, per KPIX.
Similar instances have happened to other California shops in recent years. During one incident in 2023, jewelry store workers in El Monte took matters into their own hands by chasing off a suspected thief, according to Breitbart News.
Meanwhile, KTLA reported Saturday that a man in Southern California created unbreakable glass that stopped a group of robbers who tried to target a jewelry store in Sherman Oaks:
The recent smash and grab in San Jose happened after Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) said he was deploying his own “crime suppression” teams across his state as President Donald Trump mulled the idea of extending his recent crime crackdown in the nation’s capital to additional cities, per Breitbart News.
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