VIDEO: Moments guards realize millions stolen in California jewelry heist of Brink's truck
LOS ANGELES COUNTY, Calif. (KGO) -- New video shows the aftermath of a California jewelry heist that went down in the middle of the night.
It happened last year when a Brink's tractor-trailer was headed from the Bay Area to Pasadena with millions of dollars worth of merchandise on board. Officials believe thieves stole diamonds and other jewels, but to this day no one has been caught and no charges filed.
"That was our seal, we had a lock on here and it's gone! I don't even know where the lock is. We kind of looked around for it, nothing to be found!" one Brink's security guard said in new body cam video showing the aftermath of the heist.
The two men seen on video are Brink's security guards, one of whom came back to their truck to find a broken lock, and bags of jewels that they were transporting, gone.
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Twenty-four out of 73 bags containing millions worth of jewelry were stolen from a Brink's semi-truck according to video from the LA County Sheriff's Department provided to ABC7 News by a lawyer. The two guards had picked up the diamonds and other jewels at a show in San Mateo and were in route to Pasadena according to their statements in the video. Investigators believe the theft of those bags happened at a truck stop in Lebec, an unincorporated area along I-5, in the early morning hours.
In fact, the video also records those from Brink's acknowledging that one guard was sleeping in the front of the truck, the other inside the Flying J truck stop getting a meal when the theft happened.
"In my view this isn't guarding the goods and it is an unarmored trailer," said Jerry Kroll.
Kroll represents 14 jewelers whose goods were stolen. Brink's has filed suit against them, they have filed suit against Brink's.
"It looks like there was just a padlock on the back," Kroll said. "A padlock, two guards, one sleeping, one inside, in our view not guarding the goods and you have at least $23 million on board. Something is wrong with this picture."
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But the amount stolen is still up for debate.
"How much of the inventory did you guys think you were carrying?" the deputy can be heard asking.
"About $2.5 million in diamonds and jewelry," one of the guards responds.
But then later in the video after making a call guards confirm the "total value in this truck is 23 million."
In a statement those with Brinks say, "According to the information the customers provided to us before they shipped their items, the total value of the missing items is less than $10 million. If these customers had accurately declared the value of their goods, Brink's would have implemented security measures commensurate with those higher transport values-and even in the event of a loss, we would have compensated the customers fully for their declared values."
"My clients did what they told them to do which is put down how much insurance you want, which I think was a total of $8.7 million, that's the number and they are accusing my clients of effectively lying to them simply because my clients did what they asked them to do," said Kroll.
"What doesn't make sense to me is that you would think the back half of the trailer would be empty rather than leapfrogging the stuff. Like I said, I don't know, it's hard to say unless they knew exactly what was in here," said a deputy.
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We learned during that video that different colored bags symbolize different values inside those bags. It's possible the thieves may have known that.
Dana Callahan of Brink's issued this full statement:
Our customers trust us to cover them for any losses, however unlikely. In turn, we trust our customers to declare the full and correct value of the goods they ask us to transport. According to the information the customers provided to us before they shipped their items, the total value of the missing items is less than $10 million.
If these customers had accurately declared the value of their goods, Brink's would have implemented security measures commensurate with those higher transport values-and even in the event of a loss, we would have compensated the customers fully for their declared values.
In this case, we held up our end and fulfilled our contract, settling claims with three affected customers. The others have chosen to litigate, admitting under oath that they undervalued their goods, and even did so regularly. While we are deeply disappointed by this breach of our trust and the plain language of our contracts, the courts have responded favorably to our position, and we remain willing to compensate these customers for the declared value of their goods.
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