LAMORINDA, CA — Two burglars smashed through a window at a Lafayette jewelry store before dawn Friday, stormed inside, and broke display cases in a rapid grab that was caught on internal security video.
The break-in at Ware Designs surfaced publicly after the store manager shared surveillance footage with a local television station, showing the pair forcing entry and moving through the store, according to reports.
Owner Stephen Ware received notifications from the camera alarms a shortly after 1:52 a.m. When he arrived at the store shortly after, Ware told KRON 4 News he found the window broken, and cases broken into.
Footage shows the one person breaking a front window, crawling through and then opening the front door to let a second person inside. Both begin breaking glass cases and stealing the jewelry inside — getting in and out in less than a minute.
Ware pledged that the burglars would be found and made to "sweat" for coming into Lafayette and stealing from them, according to KRON 4 News.
This isn’t the first time crime has taken place at the Lafayette shopping plaza. A car drove into the CVS just a few doors down from Ware Designs last March, in an attempt to steal an ATM, according to reports.
Sign up for free local newsletters and alerts for the
Lamorinda, CA Patch
Patch.com is the nationwide leader in hyperlocal news.
Visit Patch.com to find your town today.