A burglar escaped with a large amount of gold and valuables after breaking into a family-owned jewelry store in Glendale earlier this week. The thief is believed to have caused an explosion while using a blowtorch to open a safe.
Manail Bidrussian, owner of Bidrussian Jewelry, said his family has run the store for more than 40 years. He noticed something was wrong when he arrived Tuesday morning and saw the lights were on.
Bidrussian explained that even though his store had a security gate, heavy locks, cameras, and motion sensors, the burglars still got inside. “They came in through the top. We need to watch the outside of the building more closely,” he said.
Security footage showed that the store’s glass display cases were completely emptied. Desks and safes inside the shop were also damaged.
The burglar used a blowtorch to cut through a safe that held gold, ammunition, and guns. It is believed that this caused an explosion. After the break-in, a bomb squad was called to ensure the area was safe.
Bidrussian’s wife estimates that about $2 million worth of valuables were stolen.
A GoFundMe page set up to help the family said: “It is with deep sadness that we share the heartbreaking news that the Bidrussian family’s jewelry store—proudly serving Glendale for over 45 years—was targeted by a carefully planned burglary on Memorial Day weekend.”
A similar burglary took place on Sunday night at 5 Star Jewelry & Watch Repair in Simi Valley. In that case, several suspects used a tool to cut through the roof of a nearby coffee shop. They then stole cash and merchandise from the jewelry store.
Jacob Youssef, who started the Simi Valley business 25 years ago, said, “I feel terrible because this was my life, my retirement… they took everything we had. I don’t know what to say… I’m 71 years old… I cannot rebuild what I created over my lifetime.”
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