On the afternoon of September 5th, more than ten masked bandits robbed a jewelry store in San Jose, Santa Clara County, Northern California in broad daylight. The 88-year-old store owner was injured, estimated losses amounting to about $100,000 without including medical expenses.
Kim Hung Jewelry store was equipped with video surveillance cameras both inside and outside the store, capturing the moment of the robbery. In the footage, a gray SUV reversed towards the store, smashing the large glass window and knocking down the metal gate. Subsequently, at least three other cars pulled up with around 15 masked men carrying small hammers and tote bags, swiftly rushing into the small jewelry shop, smashing counters and display cases, and grabbing items inside.
The bandits quickly fled the scene before the police arrived. The robbery occurred around 2 p.m., according to the San Jose Police Department. Authorities are currently searching for the 15 masked bandits seen in the video, with at least one of them reported to be armed.
During the robbery, the store owner was standing behind the counter facing the shattered windows and doors. One bandit rushed in to snatch items from the elderly man, while another pushed him to the ground from the side, causing injuries and bleeding. The elderly man was taken to the hospital but has since returned home. His son, who was also present in the store at the time, was unharmed.
San Jose sits at the heart of the Santa Clara Valley on the southern shores of the San Francisco Bay, serving as the cultural, commercial, and political center of Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area, as well as being the 12th most populous city in the United States. Local community leaders are calling on the government to take action to combat violence crimes against small businesses.
Carmen Montano, the Mayor of Milpitas located near north San Jose, mentioned at a community gathering that this wave of crime is pervasive, citing incidents of people smashing ATMs. According to NBC, Edward Escobar, founder of the Community Engagement Alliance, critiqued Governor Newsom for “letting illegal criminal behavior go unchecked,” and called for accountability for failed policies regardless of political affiliation. At the community gathering, people displayed signs advocating for “Support Proposition 36,” “Safety First,” and “Crime Prevention.”
In the November 2024 elections, Proposition 36 received nearly 70% support from California voters, aiming to impose harsh penalties on theft, robbery, and drug crimes, including categorizing habitual offenders engaged in “zero-dollar theft” – cumulative stolen amounts exceeding $950 – as felony offenses rather than releasing thieves immediately if the stolen items are valued under $950.
However, Proposition 36 did not garner majority support in the state legislature. Despite approving a budget of over $325 billion for the current fiscal year, the state allocated only slightly more than $100 million for the implementation of the proposition. The state budget allocated $2 billion for wildfire prevention, $10 billion for the California high-speed rail, and $12 billion for healthcare for undocumented immigrants.
While the Governor’s office did not directly respond to the robbery case, on September 6th, a message was posted on the social media platform X stating, “Five California cities ranked among the safest in America, including Los Angeles,” accompanied by a photo with the caption: “New research shows these major cities are considered the safest in the United States.”