Search continues for jewel thieves

Deepa Bharath

Police are still looking for masked robbers who smashed the display

window of a jewelry store with a large sledgehammer on Thursday

afternoon and made off with several large diamond rings.

The incident occurred in broad daylight in a public shopping area

in front of several witnesses.

Two or three people, their faces covered with ski masks, drove up

in a van in front of Jewelry by Mardo in the 3700 block of Via Oporto

at about 12:25 p.m., police said.

The robbers were confronted by the owner, who pulled out a gun and

shot at them. He missed, and by then, the bandits had scooped up

jewelry worth tens of thousands of dollars and zoomed down the

narrow, brick street at 80 mph, police said.

Officers found the abandoned van at a Mariner’s Mile restaurant

about a half a mile away. Police said they’d probably had another

vehicle waiting there to pick them up.

The store was closed Thursday after the incident and on Friday.

But the owner’s wife, who didn’t want her name published because she

feared for her safety, said they planned to open their doors today.

“We’re getting the window fixed,” she said. “It has been very

difficult for us.”

Police intend to release a photograph of the unusually large

sledgehammer, which was the weapon used in this brazen robbery,

Newport Beach Police Sgt. Steve Shulman said.

“It was a large hammer, with three heads welded together,” he

said.

The robbers left behind one of the hammers, Shulman said.

He said anyone offered large diamond rings or rings with platinum

settings for sale should call the police.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the

Newport Beach Police Department at (800) 550-6273.

* DEEPA BHARATH covers public safety and courts. She may be

reached at (949) 574-4226 or by e-mail at [email protected].