In a scene resembling a Hollywood crime thriller, a group of masked robbers carried out a daring smash-and-grab robbery at Kumar Jewelers in Fremont, California, making away with jewelry worth about $1.7 million (â¹15.7 crore) in just over a minute.
According to surveillance footage released by the United States Department of Justice, the gang stormed into the store — owned by an Indian-American family — armed with hammers and picks.
The robbers quickly smashed multiple glass display cases, stuffing gold and diamond jewelry into backpacks before fleeing the scene.
The robbery took place on June 18 last year, and the store reportedly lost around 75–80% of its inventory during the swift attack.
Authorities said the suspects escaped in stolen cars, driving in different directions to confuse law enforcement. Because the vehicles were stolen, license-plate tracking systems were unable to immediately link them to the suspects.
Police were eventually forced to choose which vehicle to chase. Officers pursued a black Acura, which led them on a high-speed chase through residential areas of Fremont.
According to federal prosecutors, the car sped through intersections, ran several stop signs and reached speeds of nearly 80 miles per hour, at times driving on the wrong side of the road while weaving through traffic.
Following the chase, police arrested four suspects — Afatupetaiki Faasisila, Jose Herrada-Aragon, Andres Palestino and Tom Parker Donegan, aged between 19 and 20.
However, authorities said most members of the robbery group remain at large, and two of the suspects were later released.
The dramatic footage of the robbery has gone viral on social media, sparking debate about the rising number of smash-and-grab crimes in the United States, where large groups sometimes target stores in coordinated attacks.
Investigations into the case are still ongoing as authorities attempt to identify and arrest the remaining suspects.