Four people have been arrested in connection with a series of violent smash-and-grab thefts that happened in Southern California jewelry shops.
The group is thought to be part of a crime ring that stole gold worth more than $1.5 million, according to the office of the California Attorney General.
The suspects were named as follows:
Robert Rodney Allen Flynt, Sr., 31
Michael Anthony Jones Jr., 32 years old
Daniel Christopher Shawn Pate, 27
Kevin Ryan Pate, 31
From April 4, 2023, to May 8, 2024, thieves broke into high-end jewelry shops in Orange, Riverside, San Diego, and Kern counties.
Some of the stores that are being targeted are Princess Jewelers, Banter By Piercing Pagoda, JCPenney, and Karrada Jewelry.
Authorities say the suspects would often break into shopping malls and rob gold stores violently in a “smash-and-grab” style. There were thefts both during store hours and sometimes after the shops closed.
Court records show that the four got away with gold and other items worth a total of $1,542,706.
The group was charged with 30 crimes, such as grand theft, organized retail theft, conspiracy, second-degree robbery, second-degree business burglary, and vandalism.
Carlsbad Police Lieutenant Shaun Lawton said, “Organized retail crime has a huge effect on our community and the surrounding area.” “These crimes not only hurt the bottom lines of local businesses, but they also cause prices to go up for customers and tax revenues to drop, which cuts into public services.”
“Our state has had organized retail crime for far too long,” said Rob Bonta, the attorney general of California. “It hurts stores, customers, and businesses, and it puts everyone in danger.” I want to thank our local law enforcement partners for being able to catch the suspects in this case. It is the goal of the California Department of Justice and its partners to keep our neighborhoods, companies, and customers safe from shoplifting and other crimes.
Several law enforcement agencies, such as the Bakersfield Police, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office, the San Diego Police, the Carlsbad Police, the Escondido Police, the El Cajon Police, the National City Police, and the Chula Vista Police, looked into the case.
