Janice R. Andrews
The owner of the well-defended San Gabriel Valley business Desiré Jewelry is struggling to recover from a sophisticated theft that cost around $800,000 in cash, gold, and diamonds.
The shop in Glendora was broken into by a group of four to five robbers who turned off the security cameras and alarm system inside late on May 15. The robbers arrived with bulky tools and broke into the store’s safes for six hours.
The owner of the store, Monir Kassis, found out about the break-in on May 18. In an interview with Sandra Mitchell of KTLA, Kassis described how the robbers entered his Glendora Avenue store through the roof and took everything he had on hand.
“Approximately 600 carats of diamonds are contained in that large bag,” Kassis stated. “And numerous gold chains, an abundance of gold for maintenance.”
The sound of the burglars’ tools, which were probably drills and gas-powered torches, was captured by the cameras even though they made an effort to turn off the security system. On the recordings, Kassis claimed to have heard “drilling and very loud noise.”
Two of the robbers were also caught on camera, however it has been challenging to identify them. A burglar was observed protruding his head from a door and another indicated that it was time to leave by tapping on a window.
Kassis had locked three steel safes, two of which the burglars were able to break into, with all the jewelry from display cases while he was away on vacation. According to Kassis, “They just cut a hole and grabbed everything from there.”
Blood found on one of the safes is among the evidence being examined by the Glendora Police Department as part of their investigation into the heist. Kassis has also hired a private investigator, who has a few good leads but thinks the heist was quite complex.
Anyone with information regarding the event is being asked by the authorities to call the Glendora Police Department at 626-914-8250.
