Witness recounts Concord jewelry smash and grab heist that wiped out nearly entire store

CONCORD, Calif. (KGO) -- Police in Concord are searching for suspects who broke into a jewelry store Monday evening, stealing nearly everything.

They say at around 7:30 p.m., a group of nine people entered the Iceberg Diamonds jewerlry store inside Sunvalley Mall. Surveillance video released by police show the suspects smashing glass display cases with hammers, stealing jewels inside.

"A bunch of group of people came in maybe there was six or seven people with hammers and smashed the windows," said Edwin Garcia, who works nearby the store.

He said it happened fast -- no more than a minute. Once the grabbed the merchandise, they quickly left.

Employees tried to intervene but were kept back by the men with hammers, according to police.

"I think one of the workers tried to grab someone but I guess he chose not to because you never know what can happen," he said. "Then they just ran away super quick."

The suspects got away before police arrived. Some customers inside the mall called reporting what they thought were gunshots, but in actuality they were hammers breaking glass, police said. No shots were fired.

"At first I thought it was a gunshot, it was just the hammers," he said. "For me personally, I am staying out of it."

Anyone with information regarding this case may contact Concord police at 925-603-5828.