Sunnyvale jewelry store burglarized – NBC Bay Area

A group of about 20 suspects ransacked a Sunnyvale jewelry store Wednesday afternoon, smashing windows with hammers before leaving with an undetermined amount of jewelry, authorities said.

Five of the suspects were later arrested following police pursuits that spanned the peninsula, according to the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety (DPS).

The theft occurred around 1:27 p.m. at PNG Jewelers, located at 791 East El Camino Real, DPS said.

The suspects fled in several vehicles before police arrived, but responding officers were able to spot two of the vehicles as they fled, according to DPS.

Officers attempted to stop both vehicles, but the drivers refused to stop, prompting a chase, DPS said. Officers pursued the vehicles through Sunnyvale and eventually onto Highway 101 toward the Peninsula.

The officers stopped pursuing one of the vehicles after losing sight of it. While pursuing the second vehicle, officers saw the suspects throwing the stolen jewelry out of the moving car, DPS said.

Officers had to end their pursuit of the second vehicle after losing sight of it, but other officers eventually found the vehicle abandoned on Highway 101 near Whipple Avenue in Redwood City, DPS said.

The five suspects in the vehicle ran across the highway and into a nearby industrial area, according to DPS. Four of them were arrested near Industrial Road and Britan Avenue in San Carlos. The fifth suspect was found nearby and also taken into custody.

The suspects, identified as Tonga Latu, Tavake Esafe, Ofa Ahomana, Kilifi Leaaetoa and Afuhia Lavakeiaho, were booked into the Santa Clara County Jail and face various charges, including armed robbery, felony escape from a vehicle , resisting arrest, burglary and vandalism, DPS said. .

Some of the stolen jewelry was recovered, DPS said. The total value of the stolen jewelry was not immediately known.

The victims of the robbery were not injured, according to DPS.

An investigation is underway. Anyone with information about the case asked to call Detective Thomas McKenzie at 408-730-7110.