Around 2 p.m. on 5/9, the 88-year-old Vietnamese American owner of Kim Hung Jewelry in San Jose, California, and his son were cleaning up the store, putting most of the jewelry in the safe, and preparing to close.
Suddenly, a gray Ford Explorer reversed at high speed, crashing straight through the front door. The impact pushed a long display case several meters back, stunning the father and son inside.
The son ran to his father, then back to the door to see what was happening. A group of robbers rushed in, yelling, "Everyone get down!".
The masked and gloved robbers used hammers to smash display cases. One robber snatched an item from the owner's hand and another pushed him to the ground.
The son surrendered with his hands up, huddled in a corner. At one point, a robber pointed a handgun at him.
The robbers ransacked the store, scooping items into garbage bags. They then left the store and got into at least four waiting cars in the parking lot, leaving the SUV behind. The entire robbery took about 40 seconds.
The family estimates the loss to the store at over 50,000 USD. Relatives declined to identify the father and son for fear of retaliation. The 88-year-old owner suffered a stroke after the fall. He was discharged after five days and is recovering at home.
Linh, the owner's niece, said her uncle remains traumatized and is considering closing the jewelry store.
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The storefront of Kim Hung Jewelry on Aborn Road, San Jose, California. Photo: LA Times |
"We don't know if we should continue doing business there," Linh said, noting her uncle came to California 40 years ago and built his family in San Jose and surrounding areas. "He is a family man who loves his relatives very much."
She arrived at Kim Hung Jewelry about 10 minutes after the robbery and found her uncle in shock, his feet bloodied from stepping on broken glass. "He was terrified, repeatedly saying in Vietnamese: 'Oh my God! Oh my God! Are they gone? Are they gone?'", she recalled.
Seeing her uncle unable to answer questions, Linh called 911. Doctors said the owner was "very lucky" to have been taken to the hospital promptly after the stroke.
The robbery occurred days after financial advisory firm SmartAsset ranked San Jose as the safest city in the US, consistently in the top 10 across all safety metrics considered.
A week later, the San Jose Police Department has made no arrests and has no information about the robbers.
On the afternoon of 10/9, Fine Jewelry, another Vietnamese-owned store 18 km away, was targeted in a similar manner.
Masked robbers used hammers to try to break into the store in an Asian business complex, forcing the owner to fire warning shots. Police are investigating but have not made any arrests.
Officials and locals say San Jose is experiencing a serious crime wave, with many incidents unreported. "Criminals are targeting small businesses in broad daylight," said Asians Unite.
"These are organized crime rings operating throughout California. San Jose is just next on the list," said Edward Escobar, leader of the Community Involvement Coalition.
Meanwhile, Linh said her family is not soliciting donations for Kim Hung Jewelry or her uncle.
"We are just praying for his speedy recovery. We want people to be aware of the current security and safety situation for businesses," she said.
Duc Trung (According to LA Times, SF Chronicle)
