Smash-and-grab thieves rob jewelry store in West Covina mall 

Three men wearing masks and hoodies and armed with hammers broke glass cases and stole merchandise in another smash-and-grab incident at a jewelry store in West Covina Friday evening.

Officers from the West Covina Police Department received a call regarding a  robbery in progress around 7:30 p.m. at Kevin Jewelers in the Plaza West Covina mall at 112 Plaza Drive, Sgt. Matt Nelson told City News Service.

“After entering the store and breaking the display cases, the three suspects ran out of the store with a large quantity of jewelry to a waiting car,” Nelson said.

Filmmaker Nancy Reza was at an outdoor restaurant celebrating her godson’s 13th birthday with friends and family when the robbery occurred.

“We saw this car go speeding right by us and the cop cars came by right after it. Then immediately this wave of people came running out of the mall,” Reza told CNS.

Reza, who did not witness the robbery, said she froze when the bedlam started at the mall.

“A waitress came out of the restaurant and told us to get inside. I wish I had reacted better because we could have been in danger,” she said.

No one was injured during the smash-and-grab robbery, Nelson said. The sergeant noted that there was an initial report of shots fired, but police later determined it was the sound of glass being smashed.

Similar smash-and-grab robberies have plagued jewelry stores across Los Angeles County in recent months.

Updated Aug. 27, 2022, 12:53 a.m.