A pair of masked men used a vehicle to ram their way into an Escondido jewelry store early Wednesday and looted the business.
The vehicular smash-and-grab heist occurred at Jewelry and Repair Center, located on the 300 block of West Mission Avenue shortly after 1:30 a.m., according to the Escondido Police Department.
After breaking into the shop by crashing into it with a white Volkswagen SUV, believed to have been stolen two days earlier in Oceanside, the thieves, one of them wielding an ax, broke into display cases, Lt. Bode Berreth said.
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Rosa, the daughter of the store owner, told NBC 7 that the thieves also tried to get into her father's safe but were not able to and instead took a lot of her father's work tools.
"It’s very heartbreaking, because I know how hard they worked to get to where they are now, and I know it took a lot of sacrifices," Rosa said.
The thieves stole an undisclosed amount of jewelry and cash before fleeing.
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The first suspect was wearing a gray Nike sweatshirt and sweatpants. The second suspect was wearing a black sweatshirt and blue jeans.
"Both (burglars) wore masks to conceal their identities," Berreth said.
The Escondido Police Department is requesting the public to view the video footage of the crime and report any information to Detective Mike Martinez at 760-839-4739.
The investigation is ongoing.
