Chula Vista police are asking for the public’s help in identifying a brazen thief caught on surveillance video stealing an entire display case of expensive watches and rings from a local business.
Surveillance video obtained first by NBC 7 shows the suspect entering King Jewelers on Third Avenue around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday.
“He came in. He looked very normal,” store owner David Rossi told NBC 7. “One of my employees asked if he could help him and he said, ‘No, I’m just looking around.’”
The video shows the suspect inches from another customer when he snatches the display case from a nearby counter, throws it over his shoulder and dashes out of the store.
He then ran to an F-150 parked outside that had the engine running, threw the display case into the bed of the truck and quickly jumped into the driver's seat.
Police said the display case that was stolen was a rotating glass box that was sitting atop other display cases in the shop.
“[He] literally throws it in the truck. It almost doesn’t stay in the truck,” Rossi recounted.
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Rossi, his employees and daughters ran after the suspect. His youngest daughter even grabbed the man's truck for a moment, but let go when the suspect started driving away.
Rossi said the display case contained more than $20,000 worth of watches, rings and bracelets.
More than money, Rossi said he’s speaking about the incident to, in his words, “[Raise] awareness for other stores. For anybody who is in a business situation this can happen to you very easily.”
Chula Vista police tell NBC 7 they have leads on the suspect's vehicle, which is described as a dark green Ford F-150 Super Cab truck with a mounted tool box.
Rossi said there was an unknown woman in the suspect's car, and police confirmed the woman was waiting in the passenger's seat. She had blonde hair and wore a baseball cap.
The Chula Vista Police Department (CVPD) said witnesses described the suspect as a man between 20 and 27 years old, standing at 5-foot-10 and weighing approximately 185 pounds. He wore a black tank top with the words “Coachella Dr., La Quinta 48” on the front, black pants, gray Nike shoes, black derby-style hat.
If you have information on the suspect(s) or suspect vehicle, you are urged to call the CVPD at (619) 691-5151 or (619) 691-5167.
