SUV CRASHES Through Store—Grab Owner’s Weapon

Gloved hands around bag with money and gun.

A store owner watched helplessly as masked thieves not only ransacked his jewelry cases but also snatched the very weapon he hoped would protect him.

Story Snapshot

Eight to ten masked suspects crashed an SUV through Classic Jewelers in Anaheim Hills, stealing up to $1 million in jewelry and the owner’s gun in broad daylight
Two high-speed police pursuits ended in crashes in Fullerton, injuring six innocent bystanders and resulting in multiple arrests
The theft of the owner’s firearm transformed the robbery from a property crime into a deeply personal violation and public safety threat
Anaheim police identified the suspects as experienced repeat offenders based on their coordinated tactics and execution
The incident highlights California’s escalating organized retail theft crisis amid debates over criminal justice reform

When Protection Becomes the Prize

Ramzy Tabelo stood behind the counter of Classic Jewelers on Santa Ana Canyon Road that Friday afternoon, watching surveillance monitors as an SUV accelerated toward his storefront. Within seconds, glass exploded, masked figures poured through the shattered entrance, and his worst nightmare unfolded in real time. The thieves wielded hammers and crowbars, but they sought more than sparkling merchandise. They targeted his gun, the very tool he kept visible as a deterrent, turning his security measure into their trophy. The weapon’s theft elevated a brazen property crime into something far more sinister: armed criminals now possessed a firearm directly linked to their victim.

Precision Chaos in Affluent Orange County

The robbery unfolded with disturbing efficiency around 2:30 PM on January 23, 2026. The suspects displayed tactical sophistication that immediately caught law enforcement’s attention. They used trash cans to collect loot, coordinated their movements despite the chaos, and executed a planned escape using two separate getaway vehicles. Anaheim Hills, an affluent suburb thirty miles southeast of Los Angeles, rarely experiences such brazen criminality. The timing proved calculated: no customers occupied the store, eliminating witnesses and potential resistance. Sergeant Eric Anderson from Anaheim Police later confirmed what the surveillance footage suggested: these criminals had done this before.

The Pursuit and Its Collateral Damage

Police initiated pursuits just before 2:40 PM as the suspects fled in two directions. The first getaway vehicle crashed at Lemon Street and East Orangethorpe Avenue in Fullerton, scattering jewelry trays across the wreckage. Four suspects abandoned the vehicle and scattered on foot through nearby neighborhoods. Three minutes later, the second vehicle crashed at Euclid Street and West Malvern Avenue. Six innocent drivers sustained injuries ranging from minor to moderate in these collisions. The pursuits transformed quiet Fullerton intersections into crime scenes, forcing road closures and deploying SWAT teams to hunt suspects who melted into residential areas. By evening, police had arrested at least five suspects, with additional arrests continuing as officers searched the surrounding community.

A Pattern of Organized Retail Theft

This heist fits an alarming pattern plaguing Southern California since 2021. Organized retail theft rings have increasingly targeted jewelry stores using vehicle rammings, overwhelming numbers, and rapid execution. The Classic Jewelers robbery bears the hallmarks of professional crews: masks, coordinated timing, multiple escape vehicles, and willingness to endanger public safety during flight. California’s Proposition 47, which reduced penalties for theft under $950 to misdemeanors, has created an environment where organized criminals calculate risks differently. While individual items stolen may fall below felony thresholds, the coordinated nature and total value push these crimes into serious felony territory. Yet the perception persists among criminal networks that California’s softer approach to property crime offers opportunity with limited consequence.

The Stolen Gun’s Dangerous Journey

The theft of Tabelo’s firearm adds a disturbing dimension that transcends property loss. A gun taken during a robbery enters an illicit market where its provenance matters little and its potential for harm multiplies. Criminals now possess a weapon with no paper trail connecting them to its acquisition, perfect for future crimes. Tabelo’s post-robbery reflection carries weight: “Lesson learned, I should always carry my gun on me.” His statement captures a fundamental tension in personal security. A visible firearm may deter some criminals, but experienced crews view accessible weapons as bonus prizes. The incident forces every armed business owner to reconsider their security posture. Does open display discourage or invite? Does accessibility for defense create vulnerability for theft?

Economic and Social Ripples

The immediate financial devastation reaches between $750,000 and $1 million in stolen custom jewelry, but the true cost extends much further. Tabelo faces store repairs, increased insurance premiums, potential legal exposure from injured crash victims, and psychological trauma. Jewelry retailers throughout Orange County now confront uncomfortable questions about physical security investments: reinforced entrances, bollards to prevent vehicle ramming, armed security personnel, and perhaps most significantly, whether remaining in business justifies the risk. The six injured drivers face medical expenses and recovery time, innocent victims of a crime that had nothing to do with them. Their involvement underscores how organized retail theft threatens entire communities, not just targeted businesses.

Law Enforcement’s Partial Victory

Anaheim and Fullerton police deserve credit for rapid response and arrests, recovering jewelry trays from crash scenes and apprehending multiple suspects within hours. Sergeant Anderson’s assessment that outstanding police work disrupted the criminals’ plan holds merit. Yet partial success cannot obscure uncomfortable realities. Some suspects initially evaded capture. The stolen firearm’s whereabouts remained unclear in subsequent reporting. Most troublingly, these arrests likely represent a temporary setback for organized theft rings rather than a decisive blow. The suspects face charges for robbery, evading police, and potentially assault through the crashes. California’s criminal justice system will now test whether consequences match the severity of coordinated, violent property crime that endangered an entire community.

The Classic Jewelers robbery crystallizes broader debates about crime, punishment, and personal security in modern America. Surveillance footage captures the brazen execution, police work demonstrates professional response, and multiple arrests suggest accountability. Yet the theft of Tabelo’s gun, injuries to innocent bystanders, and the suspects’ apparent experience with such crimes reveal a criminal landscape where organized groups calculate that rewards outweigh risks. California’s retail theft crisis demands solutions beyond individual business owners arming themselves or police chasing suspects through residential neighborhoods. Until policy addresses the root calculations that make such crimes attractive, jewelry store owners throughout the state will watch their surveillance monitors with increasing dread, wondering if their store is next and whether their security measures offer protection or simply present new targets.