Denver metro area jewelry stores targeted in burglaries ahead of Christmas
Two local jewelry stores are looking for answers after a group of burglars broke inside two days before Christmas, taking merchandise and an ATM.
A couple of minutes is all it took for thieves to break into Refugio Robles' family business on Federal Boulevard early Monday morning. El Centenario has been part of the Denver community for over three decades.
"We haven't seen this type of break-in since the 90s when we initially started," said Robles, owner at El Centenario Joyeria. "It's definitely a big bummer for us, and especially my parents that have been here. This is their life, this business is their life."
Surveillance footage of the break-in shared with CBS Colorado showed four masked people pull up in a car on the sidewalk in front of El Centenario and start to break in through the front door.
"Once they were able to get in there, they go through the second door," said Robles. "As soon as they go in, two of them go straight for the ATM and one of them go straight for the jewelry."
Additional video showed one of the thieves jumping over the jewelry stand, as two others pried the ATM out of the ground and carried it out the front doors.
"We immediately get a call from our alarm company, and at the same time, Denver Police Department gets dispatched," said Robles.
Only seconds after the suspects hopped back in the car and drove off DPD officers appeared to arrive at the store.
"At the end of the day we're glad nobody got hurt and it's all material," said Robles.
They cannot specify how much was stolen while the DPD continues to investigate the burglary, Robles said. But, he explained, they rely heavily upon their jewelry sales and this robbery set their business back about a month's worth of profit.
"Jewelry stores in Colorado tend to be a tight-knit community and we tend to watch out for each other," said Robles.
That's why when Robles saw on surveillance video that these thieves had dropped other merchandise from a different store, they knew they were not the only business targeted.
"We found our showcases destroyed, we found a bunch of merchandise and a bunch of envelopes with personal information out on the sidewalk," said Jessie Amador.
Amador is the store manager at Angel's Jewelry in Aurora, whose store was burglarized less than an hour before El Centenario on the same night. Their surveillance cameras captured similar masked individuals and a similar car pull up to their location before smashing their way inside.
"We're thinking about damages on the low end about $30,000," said Amador.
Amador says it is unfortunate to see small businesses like theirs and Robles' being targeted so close to the holidays, and both remain hopeful some holiday miracle may help pinpoint who these suspects are.
"It's affected us not only financially but our spirits too," said Amador. "We feel like our privacy got taken advantage of."
Denver police told CBS Colorado they also suspect both incidents to be connected and urge anyone with any information to contact Metro Denver Crime Stoppers.
