The wife of a jewelry store owner in Sacramento, Calif., was shot and killed after a firefight erupted during a smash-and-grab robbery on Nov. 15, according to local news sources.
The victim’s name has not been released, but she was reported to be the wife of the owner of Kim Tin Jewelry, a store that has been open for three decades in Sacramento’s Little Vietnam Plaza.
Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office has not yet determined who shot the woman, spokesperson Sgt. Amar Gandhi told The Sacramento Bee. However, detectives think the business owner fired at the suspects, and the robbers fired back, Gandhi said.
The sheriff’s office said it is looking for four to six men who fled the scene in two separate vehicles. Anyone with information is urged to contact the sheriff’s office at 916-874-5115 or Jewelers Security Alliance (JSA), 800-537-0067 or jsa2@jewelerssecurity.org.
This is the third homicide committed during a jewelry-related crime this year, says Jennifer Mulvihill, who was recently appointed head of JSA.
“We give our sincere condolences,” she says.
In October, a Michigan jeweler was killed during a home invasion, and in July, a Florida jeweler was shot during an argument with a customer.
This marks the first time since 2017 that there have been more than two jewelry-related homicides in a year. In 2023, one jeweler was killed.
Smash-and-grabs have been an ongoing problem in California, though they have decreased to 23 so far this year from 61 during January through November last year.
JSA has warned jewelers and their employees not to resist during a robbery or other crime. More crime prevention tips can be seen here and on the organization’s website.
(Photo: Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office)
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