A family-owned and operated jewelry store in South Surrey was robbed by four thieves in an early morning break-in on Monday.
Andy Nguyen, whose parents are the store owners, stated that the four thieves appeared knowledgeable and swiftly stole over $100,000 worth of jewelry.
Nguyen expressed to Global News that he found the event unbelievable and scary as nothing similar had ever occurred before. He was alarmed by the multiple individuals entering and causing destruction.
The stolen items were not covered by insurance.
The break-in occurred at 4:18 a.m. on Monday at the Semiahmoo Shopping Centre and was recorded on a CCTV camera.
The video shows the four suspects, wearing masks and hoods, breaking the store’s display cases.
Nguyen revealed that his parents are devastated by the incident.
“(The store) almost means everything,” he said. “I think because that’s all that my parents have and that’s all that they’ve had to raise us.”
Nguyen shared that his parents have owned the store for over 10 years and his mother admitted to being frightened to go to work now.
“My mom absolutely loves work,” he said. “She just loves being there. She loves talking to all our customers that come by and friends and stuff. Just to have the words come out of her mouth that she doesn’t feel safe and she’s scared. That’s like, it’s really heartbreaking.”
Surrey RCMP stated that an investigation is ongoing.
“The four suspects are believed to have departed in a dark-coloured SUV,” according to Surrey RCMP Cpl. James Mason. “The bold actions of these individuals serve as a concerning reminder of the impact criminals can have on our community. They had a plan and they executed it.”
The mall has on-site security, who reported the incident to the police.
Nguyen mentioned that they will strive to continue forward as a family as best they can.
“We never thought this would happen,” he said. “It’s like a movie.”
Anyone with information regarding the theft should contact Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502.
