Following Robberies, Sunnyvale Authorities Meet Indian-American Jewelers

June 15 :.
Indian jewellery stores in the Newark to Sunnyvale area were the victims of a spate of armed robberies that caused locals and company owners alike to freak out and lose millions of dollars. In response, a meeting was called by Sunnyvale officials, including AIA leadership, Chief of Police Phan Ngo, Vice Mayor Murali Srinivasan, Interim City Manager Tim Kirby, and Mayor Larry Klein, to address the increasing concerns of the Indian-American business sector.

Present Indian-American businessman Ajay Bhutoria expressed his deepest appreciation to the city's leadership, including Mayor Larry Klein, Vice Mayor Murali Srinivasan, Police Chief Phan Ngo, Interim City Manager Tim Kirby, and Connie V., for their swift action and steadfast support throughout this crisis. Their teamwork and commitment have been crucial in responding quickly to community concerns.

More than twenty armed criminals stormed the El Camino Real location of PNG Jewellers, a business owned by Indians, on June 12th, the day before this conference. Responding to the ongoing robbery, officers from the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety were sent to the store. It is believed that the perpetrators broke into the jewellery display cases using various tools and hammers.

Five people wanted in connection with the PNG theft were arrested by the police. A jewellery store in Sunnyvale was robbed in May by a group of masked men; investigators are trying to determine whether this incident is related to that heist. The Sunnyvale Police Department collaborated with regional authorities to make the arrests quickly, and Bhutoria thanked them after the conference.

With these strong safeguards in place, our companies can now relax," Bhutoria said. The fortitude and perseverance of our community members, as well as the value of decisive leadership, have been on full display during this ordeal.

On May 29, prior to the PNG heist, a group of robbers stormed the Newark jeweller Bhindi. Sunnyvale, California, a nearby town, was the site of a comparable heist on May 4. At least ten people wearing masks broke into a store and started breaking display cases during this event.

At least five years have passed since chain snatching began targeting Indian-American women. The perpetrator would often sneak up behind the victim in broad daylight and violently take off her gold necklace; these crimes tend to take place in suburban streets and parks. The increased purity of Indian women's gold—anywhere from 18 to 22 karats—makes them easy targets, especially when contrasted with the 14 karats commonly worn by American women.