Burglars attempting to break into a gold exchange in San Diego's Grantville neighborhood came up empty in their attempted heist, according to San Diego police.
The two-man wrecking crew used a sledgehammer to knock a series of holes in a stucco wall in the rear of a strip mall in the 5800 block of Mission Gorge Road, where the Gold Refinery of San Diego is located. Police said access points were also made into the adjoining businesses, Advanced Printing and Annie's Alterations & Tailoring. The owner of the tailoring shop told NBC 7 that the burglars also broke through her shared wall with the gold exchange.
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San Diego police told NBC 7 on Tuesday that the Gold Refinery owner called 911 at about 5:20 a.m. after becoming aware via remote surveillance video that there were people inside the business.
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Reached by phone, an employee at the exchange demurred when asked to provide information about the break-in: "We did have a burglary, but we're not looking to have any press for it. Have a nice day."
According to a report on Ink.com, the Gold Refinery opened in 2009 and is a "financial services company [that] buys and sells precious metals, specializing in gold, and offers a sliding scale exchange to cater to larger clients …"
Police estimated that the damage to the three business was approximately $67,000. Both suspects were able to get away after the attempted burglary, officials said.
