On September 8th, the police in San Jose, California, announced that an 88-year-old jewelry store owner is recovering at home after his family business fell victim to a violent smash-and-grab robbery recently.
The robbery took place just after 2 p.m. on September 5th at Kim Hung Jewelry located in the eastern part of San Jose. According to a statement released by the police to the media, the perpetrators drove a stolen car through the storefront, and over a dozen masked robbers (at least one carrying a handgun) stormed the store, smashing glass display cases and making off with a large amount of jewelry. The store owner was pushed to the ground during the robbery, but his identity has not been revealed.
The entire incident lasted less than a minute but left the store almost in ruins. The event was captured on surveillance footage, sparking renewed discussions about organized retail crime in California. Friends of the store owner have called for state leaders to strengthen accountability, criticizing the insufficient funding for current anti-crime measures. Chris Moore, a board member of the East Bay Rental Housing Association, described the chilling moment when the robbery occurred.
“If you watch that video, around the 10-second mark…you see them (the robbers) just push him (the store owner) to the ground,” Moore told the media on September 8th. “He’s an 88-year-old man, and they just casually pushed him down.”
Moore mentioned that the store owner initially received treatment for cuts and bruises but later experienced confusion when talking with family members. “When his family was talking to him, he started…speaking incoherently, so they realized he was having a stroke,” Moore said. Paramedics promptly transported the elderly man to a nearby hospital, where he stayed over the weekend before being discharged in stable condition.
Moore added that doctors administered stroke medication in time which prevented any major consequences.
Most of the high-end jewelry in the store had been locked in a time-delay safe earlier that day, potentially reducing the losses; the value of the stolen items has not been disclosed. Kim Hung Jewelry, in business for over 40 years, now finds its storefront shut, with an uncertain future.
“They’re not sure if they can reopen because they don’t have $50,000 just sitting around,” Moore said. “The store is now closed off…so it’s essentially out of business for the time being.”
The store owner’s niece, speaking at a press conference outside the store, expressed hopes to raise funds for rebuilding the store but is contemplating how to proceed, especially with the owner unlikely to return.
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan condemned the robbery on social media platform X, calling it “appalling”. “Seeing this elderly man being attacked had me furious,” Mahan said. “These individuals need to face the harshest punishment. I have been in touch with our police chief and will closely follow the investigation.”
The incident has sparked strong community backlash.
A gathering organized by the Coalition for Community Engagement took place on September 7th in front of the damaged store. Dozens of people assembled, demanding enhanced law enforcement against Bay Area smash-and-grab crimes.
Founder of the coalition, Edward Escobar, emphasized the broader challenges faced by small businesses: “Small businesses cannot afford such attacks.”
Escobar also pointed out that many crimes go unreported as business owners fear their insurance being canceled: “The problem we have now is businesses, in particular small businesses, not reporting crime. Why? Because they fear their business insurance might be canceled.”
Attendees at the gathering called for expanding the use of “Flock Safety” cameras to track stolen vehicles and for an increase in enforcement funding for Proposition 36, passed last year, aimed at combating organized retail theft.
Speaking as a family friend, Moore viewed this robbery as part of an ongoing crime wave rather than a hate crime.
“This is very typical,” he said. “These kinds of incidents happen almost every day in Oakland. This time it happened in San Jose, but it’s just a continuation.” He attributed such brazen robberies to lenient law enforcement by the police due to budget cuts, linking it with the reduction in police funding. The San Jose Police Department did not respond to requests for comment from the Epoch Times.
Against the backdrop of economic pressures and debates on criminal justice reform, smash-and-grab robberies have been occurring frequently in California, primarily targeting jewelry stores and retailers. While the intent behind California’s Proposition 36 was to increase penalties for repeat offenders, challenges have been encountered in its implementation, with the main issue being the lack of sufficient funding support from individual counties.