In a heist that sounds like something straight out of “Ocean’s 11,” an estimated $150 million worth of jewelry was reportedly stolen from a Brink’s armored vehicle traveling from the Bay Area to Southern California.
KPIX says the gems — some of which are sapphires and 19-karat yellow gold — will be featured at the Pasadena International Gem and Jewelry Show, a direct-to-consumer jewelry show that sells gems, watches and accessories. The merchandise was reportedly loaded into the Brink’s vehicle last Sunday night, and by Monday morning, about two dozen lockers were gone — along with the livelihoods of the 18 vendors.
“My Life. This is how I live. This is how I feed my children,” an anonymous victim told the publication. KPIX says the jeweler does not have a showroom and makes all of its money through trade shows. Some victims reportedly spent nearly 40 years building their repertoire when they suddenly disappeared early that day.
Brink’s issued the following statement to KPIX: “Earlier this week, a loss incident involving a Brink’s vehicle occurred near Los Angeles. We are working with law enforcement and will fully reimburse our customers for the value of their assets that were stolen in accordance with the terms of our contract.”
The outlet confirmed that the FBI is investigating the incident with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Brink’s has dealt with its fair share of robberies in the past.
In March 2022, the Bay Area News Group reported that three masked men robbed a Brink’s security guard at gunpoint in a 7-Eleven parking lot in Oakland. They reportedly took his bag full of cash and fled, although the security guard was unharmed. In 2001, the Los Angeles Times reported that a Brink’s security guard was killed in a “shootout” with armed robbers at a Bank of America branch in the San Fernando Valley Albertson’s.
However, none of these incidents compare to the “crime of the century” that occurred in Boston in 1950, when a group of masked thieves wearing masks, crepe-soled shoes and driving caps allegedly stole $1.2 million in cash and $1.5 million in checks from the physical Brink’s location. The FBI history page says it was the largest robbery in the US at the time
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