FBI investigating huge jewellery heist in SoCal

LOS ANGELES (KABC) — Jewellery, gems, high-end watches and different valuables price tens of millions of {dollars} had been stolen from a transport car in Southern California.

The Brink’s cargo trailer was headed for a jewellery present in Pasadena early on the morning of July 11 when it was robbed after the motive force pulled over at a relaxation cease in Lebec.

The driving force and crew pulled over on the Flying J journey plaza in Lebec round 2 am, in line with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Division. Sooner or later whereas it was parked on the relaxation cease, somebody broke in and stole the cargo. The driving force and crew of the car are cooperating with investigators, officers advised ABC Information.

The trailer had been loaded the day earlier than following an exhibit close to San Francisco.

It was not instantly clear if the thieves had adopted the car sooner or later throughout its journey from the Bay Space or stumbled upon it on the relaxation cease as against the law of alternative.
The FBI workplace in Lancaster is working with the LASD to analyze.

“It is such a tragic scenario,” stated Arnold Duke, president of the Worldwide Gem and Jewellery Present.

A number of exhibitors, a few of them based mostly in downtown Los Angeles, had merchandise on the truck and plenty of of them have misplaced their life financial savings. Insurance coverage is anticipated to solely cowl a fraction of their losses.

There’s some conflicting details about the worth of the merchandise.

Brink’s says the objects got an estimated worth of lower than $10 million. However exhibitors say the worth is definitely between $100 million to $150 million.

The discrepancy is seemingly the results of a typical follow within the business.
“They’re under-insure,” Duke stated. “As a result of the additional insurance coverage could be very, very costly. And since everyone trusts Brink’s 1,000,000 p.c. And so they’ve by no means misplaced something of ours. In spite of everything these years, individuals are simply very, very comfy.”

Duke stated stolen objects embrace gold jewellery, hundreds of diamonds, about 100 watches from Rolex and Cartier and uncommon gems. A number of the objects, just like the watches and diamonds, have engraved serial numbers and could also be trackable.

The touring present occurs each week at completely different places across the nation. The Brink’s truck was heading to the Pasadena Conference Middle for the July 15-17 present.

Brink’s issued an announcement that learn partly: “In response to the knowledge the shoppers offered to us earlier than they shipped their objects, the full worth of the lacking objects is lower than $10 million. We’re working with legislation enforcement and we are going to totally reimburse our prospects for the worth of their belongings that had been stolen, in accordance with the phrases of our contract.”

Legislation-enforcement consultants say a heist of this magnitude is uncommon.

“To have a theft like this happen with that sum of money, probably upwards of $150 million in losses, is simply unimaginable,” stated law-enforcement skilled Bruce Thomas.

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