Santa Clarita Valley, CA– A Rolex watch valued at $8,900 was reported stolen from a local business inside the Valencia Town Center mall on Thursday, according to the business owner and officials with the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station.
The robbery reportedly occurred just 40 minutes after Alin, the owner of Fast Fix Jewelry and Watch Repairs store, put the 1975 stainless steel Rolex up on display for a possible customer to come and view, she said. Alin declined to provide her last name out of concern for her safety.
Two men and a woman entered the jewelry store on Thursday and employees approached the individuals to ask if they needed assistance. The three stated they were together looking to purchase an item to give as a gift, she said.
As three employees began to show them jewelry pieces they were “going back and forth, back and forth. They were there for quite some time,” she said, calculating they spent 20 minutes in the vicinity with no interest in purchasing anything.
When Alin left the area for a brief moment, that’s when one of the men, who she described to be in his 40’s wearing a hat and jacket, leaned over the counter and grabbed a green box that contained the watch.
According to Ring video footage, the man then hid the box inside his jacket and continued to roam the store for a few more minutes before he and the other two people left, Alin said.
Employees of the family-owned business and Alin herself were unaware of the stolen watch until Friday afternoon after she searched her inventory to see if it was misplaced, she said.
She contacted deputies with the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station at approximately 4 p.m. to file a police report.
Deputy Villalobos, a spokeswoman with the station who declined to provide her first name, confirmed on Saturday morning that deputies responded to the mall to investigate the report of a stolen watch. She also stated no arrests were made in connection with the alleged theft.
Additional information could not be provided by Watch Sgt. Johnny Gillespie as he did not have access to the police report on Saturday.
Alin stated the deputy who came to take the report told her that with her Ring camera footage, and the mall’s security footage, they were onto a good lead to identify the suspects.
This isn’t the first time her business has fallen victim to grand theft, she said, and “my frustration is, it’s not fair to us. This is my bread and butter, we’re family here,” she said. She also felt taken advantage of but was also filled with gratitude that no one was hurt during the incident.
“I’m grateful they didn’t have a gun or hurt any of my employees. The items are replaceable,” Alin said as her voice broke. “I hate when people say it’s an inside job. My insurance is $10,000, and this watch was not $10,000, so it’s not worth it.”
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If you have any information regarding this incident or information on these criminals, please contact the Jewelers’ Security Alliance at jsa2@jewelerssecurity.org or 212-687-0328.