ANOKA, Minn. (WCCO) — Surveillance cameras caught video of an overnight break-in at a Wayzata jewelry store, a burglary now linked to two other jewelry heists.
The security cameras show one of the burglars banging away at a display case, struggling to get in. The four thieves still got three showcases full of stuff, but it could have been even worse.
“It’s scary. You feel violated,” said Chris Graham, who bought the store now called Graham Jewelers eight years ago. “You feel that you work so hard to do things right, and you just feel kicked.”
Around 3: a.m., the thieves broke through a front window and broke into the display cases.
“Over here, they got diamond earrings, pendants and bracelets,” he said. “Over here, they got some collections of 24 carat jewelry.”
(credit: Anoka Police)
The most expensive merchandise was locked in a back vault, but they’re doing a full inventory to figure out how much was lost.
Security video shows how quickly the thieves moved in and how the safety glass slowed them down.
“You can see him try and smash the glass,” said Graham, while watching the video,” and he’s not really getting in so well.”
The burglar actually needed to come back with something hard to finally break the glass, and even then, had to reach in through a small hole in the top, slowing him down while his partners raided two other cases.
“I’ve never seen safety glass like that,” said Wayzata Police Chief Mike Risvold. “So that slowed them down. But they were will in and out in an awful big hurry.”
They were in the store for two minutes, and police arrived one minute later.
Police said they believe the suspects are also connected to the burglary of another Anoka business back on Dec. 11, 2011. Two jewelry stores in Wayzata were also burglarized last November and on Thursday. Wayzata Police said they believe the same group is involved in all of the incidents.
Anyone with information about the incidents or who can identify the suspects is asked to call Anoka Police at (763) 576-2817.
